LTL on-time rates improve slightly

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 5/1/1998

Less-than-truckload carriers' transit-time performance for the three-month period ending Feb. 28 improved slightly from the previous analysis. Even so, overall performance remains well below shippers' expectations. According to an analysis of 40 key lanes across the country conducted for Logistics by Strategic Technologies Inc., LTL carriers met their own standards for on-time delivery only 65 percent of the time. That's a step up from the 61-percent performance recorded for November through January.

STI examined a total of 17,925 shipments of less than 10,000 pounds that moved between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. As in previous reports, performance varied widely among the lanes measured. The best-performing lane--from Mira Loma, Calif., to Tucson, Ariz.--showed an on-time rate of just over 99 percent. Performance on three other lanes exceeded 95 percent on time.

At the other extreme, just over 6 percent of shipments arrived on time on the lane between Edison, N.J., and Lumberton, N.J. Of 567 shipments examined on that lane, a mere 36 arrived on time, and shipments averaged more than two days late on what should be an overnight journey.

As always, it's important to note that the STI figures look at overall performance of LTL carriers. Individual carriers can and do operate at far better levels.

The on-time performance is measured against the carriers' own published transit times. The table includes a sampling of performance on lanes around the country.

Transit Times

Origin Destination Published Actual % on-time

Mira Loma, Calif. Las Vegas, Nev. 1.49 1.54 96.7

Atlanta, Ga. Orlando, Fla. 1.07 2.88 24.4

Melrose Park, Ill. Jessup, Md. 2.00 3.33 32.9

Edison, N.J. Lumberton, N.J. 1.00 3.43 6.4

Santa Fe Springs, Cal. Fullerton, Calif. 2.25 2.62 67.4

Hendersonville, N.C. High Point, N.C. 1.00 2.20 48.8

Atlanta, Ga. Memphis, Tenn. 1.05 2.46 36.3

Dallas, Texas San Antonio, Texas 1.16 1.41 85.8

Forest Park, Ga. Charlotte, N.C. 1.27 2.62 40.6

Memphis, Tenn. Indianapolis, Ind. 2.43 2.10 92.3

Chicago, Ill. Omaha, Neb. 2.45 3.27 49.1

Total sample (17,925 shipments) 65%

"Published" represents carriers' average published projected transit time in working days. "Actual" represents average actual transit time.

Source: Strategic Technologies Inc. (STI provides freight rating, payment, and reporting services and acts as a network for communication of electronic load tenders and shipment-status messages for shippers and carriers.)