The B2B logistics KPIs are the operational indicators large forwarders and consignees measure to understand whether their supply chain works. In 2026 some historical KPIs (deliveries per month, revenue per customer) are still useful but no longer sufficient: pressure on sustainability, cash flow and service level brought more granular operational metrics to the forefront — on-time-in-full, effective load factor, cost per km, average assignment time. Knowing which to measure, where to take the data and how to interpret it is the difference between a dashboard generating decisions and a "wallpaper" dashboard.
The 5 core B2B logistics KPIs for 2026
These are the 5 KPIs every structured forwarder and large consignee should have on dashboard, regardless of sector.
1. On-Time-In-Full (OTIF)
Percentage of deliveries arriving at correct destination, within agreed time, with right quantity, without damages or exceptions. It's the strictest service-level KPI: a delivery 30 minutes late or with one missing pallet does not count. OTIF measured on total shipments closed in the period. Typical targets: ≥95% for excellent forwarders, 88-92% market average.
What it reveals. If OTIF drops, the cause is almost always sourcing: less reliable carriers, immature expanding network, geographic coverage under pressure.
2. Effective load factor
How full was the trailer on average for shipments in the period. Measured as percentage of maximum possible load (weight or volume, depending on bottleneck for transported goods). The KPI distinguishes planned load from actual load: actual load is known only if weighing systems or volume registration at loading/unloading feed the data.
What it reveals. If load factor is structurally low, there's consolidation optimization to do. If only low on certain lanes, it's a local network issue.
3. Cost per km
Total transport cost over actual kilometres travelled. Typical items: carrier rate, tolls, possible extra fuel, accessory services. Measured per lane (per vehicle category) and compared over time.
What it reveals. If rising over time, market pressures (driver shortage, expensive fuel, Mobility Package) are cascading onto your P&L. If decreasing, you found efficiency leverage or you're accepting less qualified carriers (verify with OTIF).
4. Average assignment time
Time elapsed between shipment creation in TMS and confirmed assignment to a specific carrier (with plate, driver, ETA). Measured in hours. Typical targets: under 2 hours for standard shipments, under 30 minutes for "hot" shipments.
What it reveals. If rising, sourcing is harder (driver shortage biting, network less responsive). A leading variable: anticipates OTIF drops arriving by month-end.
5. First-try coverage rate
On how many shipments does the first contacted carrier accept? Measures matching effectiveness and network quality. Typical targets: ≥70% for mature exclusive networks, ≤40% for those mainly working public load boards.
What it reveals. Low first-try coverage = lots of human sourcing time. Directly correlated to "hidden" cost of the traffic team.
KPIs that NO longer count (or count much less)
Three historical metrics still appearing on dashboards that don't drive effective decisions today.
Number of shipments per month. Pure volumetrics. Without OTIF beside it, it's only "how busy we were", not "how good". Measures activity, not effectiveness.
Revenue per top customer. Useful for sales, not operations. Says nothing about service quality to that customer: a top customer with OTIF 75% is one likely looking for an alternative.
Average cost per shipment. Aggregating shipments of different lanes and vehicles loses signal. A Milan-Rome and a Milan-Berlin shipment have very different cost structures; averaging them hides local inefficiencies.
CSRD-subject specific KPIs
For the consignee in CSRD scope, 2 ESG operational KPIs are added.
CO2 emissions per tonne-km (gCO2/tkm). Calculated per lane based on vehicle emission factor + actual load. Aggregated annually feeds Scope 3 cat. 4 and 9 reporting directly.
Percentage of empty km on total travelled. Measures how much of distance run by the consignee's carriers is inefficient. Reduces with exclusive networks sharing backhauls.
Where to take the data — source matters
The 5 core KPIs are only as good as the sources feeding them. Three operational rules.
OTIF. Measured on digital PoD (delivery occurred + timestamp) compared with original shipment (agreed time + quantity). If PoD is paper and arrives 2 weeks late, KPI is always outdated.
Load factor. Requires weighing or volume measurement at loading/unloading. Without, you estimate from planned shipment = unreliable estimate. To really measure you need platform weighing or driver app with post-load weighing fields.
Average assignment time and first-try coverage. Measured from TMS timestamps. If assignment goes through untracked email/calls, the KPI is polluted. The source must be structured.
FAQ
Which of the 5 KPIs do I look at first if I'm short on time?
OTIF and average assignment time. OTIF tells if service is holding (lagging indicator), average assignment time anticipates OTIF drops by some weeks (leading indicator). Together they cover "we're OK now" and "will we be OK in a month".
How do I measure load factor without weighing?
Without weighing, you can only estimate from planned shipment, and the estimate is unreliable for decisions. To really measure, you need either platform weighing (at load/unload) or driver app with post-load weighing fields. It's an investment but the data is the precondition to optimize consolidation.
Should cost per km be measured gross or net?
Typically net, excluding VAT. Including: carrier rate + tolls + possible contractual extra fuel + accessory services (tail-lift, multi-stop, ADR). Excluding: commercial costs, admin costs, extraordinary contributions. Keep the same convention over time for coherent comparisons.
Are OTIF and first-try coverage correlated?
Indirectly. Low first-try coverage means lots of manual sourcing, more "marginal" carriers accepted to cover the shipment, service quality under pressure. OTIF tends to drop 2-4 weeks later. Monitoring both anticipates service-level problems.
For large consignees, is the main KPI OTIF or gCO2/tkm?
Depends on internal pressure. Historically OTIF was primary (touches the end customer directly). With CSRD mandatory and PE/bank pressure, gCO2/tkm rises rapidly in priority. The most mature consignees watch both simultaneously with comparable weight.
Want to understand which of your logistics KPIs are already pulling down marginality without you noticing? Request a private demo on the forwarders page or read the articles on digital framework agreements and multi-tier visibility.