TRANSPORTATION METRICS: HOW DOES YOUR CARRIER MEASURE UP?
provider or its customers. When a carrier says it has a continuous improvement program, Held recommends asking for several years of metrics, such as cost per mile, empty miles, and time to onboard. These will help show the program’s value. 9 BILLING ACCURACY AND TRANSPARENCY If a carrier’s freight invoices regularly contain errors, that’s a quality issue even if the delivery performance is fine, Henzel says. Billing errors, including small ones, gradually add up. The importance of rate and surcharge transparency will keep climbing, given recent rapid and unpredictable movements in fuel surcharges. “Shippers are done with surprises on their invoices,” Henzel adds. 10 CUSTOMER RETENTION RATE A solid customer retention rate shows that a provider offers long-term value, says Randy Ofiara, senior vice president of managed logistics performance with Blue Grace Logistics. A significant customer turnover rate warrants investigation. Among the issues to check are the company’s account management strategy and its approach to staffing and training. Most leading companies have low customer turnover and a solid management structure to help drive value for their clients. 11 EQUIPMENT QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY The average cost to operate a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, the highest recorded, according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). Similarly, repair and
By monitoring carrier performance and reliability, logistics managers can resolve operational bottlenecks before they disrupt service, helping maintain low customer turnover and strengthen long-term partner relationships.
phone calls to get you your money,” Henzel says. A provider that addresses errors in a timely manner likely has accurate internal data and enough margin to stand behind its service. Conversely, a carrier that fights everything is usually short of one or both, Held adds. 7 FINANCIAL HEALTH A carrier that’s financially healthy will be better positioned to maintain its fleet and attract drivers. One indication of financial health is how long a carrier takes to pay its owner- operators. While few carriers publicize this, some shippers simply ask during onboarding, Henzel says. Shippers can also uncover clues in other ways. Carrier vetting or credit- monitoring services often track payment history. A carrier that leans on quick-pay factoring companies might be running short on cash. “The information is out there, but a shipper usually has to look for it,” Henzel adds. 8 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT NUMBERS By themselves, descriptions of continuous improvement initiatives don’t really tell how they help a transportation
Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program: 1. Unsafe driving 2. Crash indicator 3. Hours-of-service compliance 4. Controlled substances and alcohol 5. Hazardous materials compliance 6. Driver fitness 7. Vehicle maintenance Another key metric is Department of Transportation recordable accidents per million miles. An accident generally is considered recordable if it includes a fatality, including any that don’t occur at the scene; bodily injury that requires transport from the scene for immediate medical treatment; and/or vehicle damage that requires one or more vehicles to be towed from the crash site. 6 DAMAGE, LOSS, AND CLAIMS RATES Shippers expect their products to arrive intact. When damage occurs, they want an efficient resolution. So along with the damage rate, it’s important to know how quickly a carrier resolves claims once they’re filed. “A carrier with a slightly higher damage rate who pays out in five days beats a carrier with a lower damage rate who takes six weeks and three
maintenance costs jumped 8.6%. Yet, truckload and refrigerated
operating margins stayed below 1%. So, some carriers continued to use older trucks and delayed equipment purchases, the ATRI said ( see chart, right ). “When margins are that thin, some operators defer repairs they shouldn’t,”
30 Inbound Logistics • September 2026
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