Which logistics KPIs should you track to evaluate an e-commerce carrier?

Judging an e-commerce carrier on its price per parcel alone is a mistake. A carrier also has to be assessed on its ability to meet the delivery times it promises, keep incidents down, provide reliable tracking data and protect the customer experience after the purchase.

That is what logistics KPIs are for. These indicators make it possible to compare carriers on objective grounds, pinpoint weak spots and manage delivery performance more effectively.

Delivery has a direct impact on customer satisfaction: according to a study conducted by Sapio Research for Shipup by ZigZag, 1 consumer in 3 has already had to take time off or rearrange their day to receive a parcel. And when a delivery runs late, up to 62% of consumers may hold the retailer responsible, even when the carrier is the one at fault. Carrier performance is therefore not just a logistics matter: it also shapes loyalty, customer support workload and margin.

Why track carrier logistics KPIs?

In e-commerce, delivery is often the last point of contact between the brand and the customer. If that experience goes badly, customers do not always draw a distinction between the carrier and the online store.

Tracking the right logistics KPIs answers very concrete questions: which carrier keeps to its delivery times best, which countries or warehouses generate the most incidents, which flows cost more than expected, and which delivery promises need adjusting.

These indicators also help avoid decisions based on impressions. A carrier can look inexpensive while generating a lot of delays, lost parcels or support contacts. Conversely, a more expensive carrier can be more profitable if it keeps incidents down on sensitive flows.

The main logistics KPIs to track

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1. On-time delivery rate

The on-time delivery rate measures the share of parcels delivered within the time promised to the customer or contracted with the carrier.

Formula:

On-time delivery rate = parcels delivered on time / parcels delivered × 100

This is one of the most important logistics KPIs, because it shows whether the promise made to the customer is actually being kept. It is a particularly strategic point: 60% of consumers cite on-time delivery guarantees as an important factor when finalising an order.

This KPI should be analysed by carrier, country, warehouse, delivery method and time period. An overall drop in the on-time delivery rate is not enough to understand the problem. You need to know whether the decline comes from a specific carrier, a geographic area, a hub or a particular flow.

2. Average delivery time

Average delivery time measures how long it takes between dispatch and actual delivery.

Formula:

Average delivery time = sum of delivery times / number of parcels delivered

This indicator gives a good overall picture, but it is not enough on its own. An average can mask significant variation. A carrier may deliver most parcels quickly while still generating a meaningful share of very late deliveries.

It is therefore worth complementing this KPI with the median, the 90th percentile or the gap between the promised date and the actual date. That reading helps adjust the delivery promises shown to customers and avoid overly optimistic estimates.

3. Late delivery rate

The late delivery rate measures the share of parcels delivered after the estimated date.

Formula:

Late delivery rate = parcels delivered late / parcels delivered × 100

This KPI is directly tied to the customer experience. A slight delay on a standard delivery does not have the same impact as a delay on an express order, a gift or an urgently needed product.

The late delivery rate is also useful for spotting drift. A gradual increase can reveal a capacity problem at a carrier. A sudden spike can signal a localised incident, a strike, an overload or a problem at a regional hub.

4. Failed delivery rate

The failed delivery rate measures parcels that could not be delivered on the first attempt.

Formula:

Failed delivery rate = failed deliveries / delivery attempts × 100

This indicator matters particularly for home delivery. Every failure can generate a redelivery, a delay, a support contact or a return to sender.

To analyse it properly, you need to separate the causes. A failure caused by an incomplete address is not handled the same way as one caused by the customer being out, an access problem or a carrier error.

5. Carrier incident rate

The incident rate measures the share of parcels that ran into an anomaly during transport.

Formula:

Incident rate = parcels with an incident / parcels shipped × 100

Incidents can include stuck parcels, abnormal delays, unscanned parcels, returns to sender, damaged parcels or lost parcels.

An incident dashboard is useful for centralising these anomalies, categorising them and comparing them across carriers. The point is not simply to count incidents, but to understand where they happen, on which flows, and how often.

This matters especially as volumes grow. Without a consolidated view, teams often discover problems too late, once they have already generated support tickets or customer complaints.

6. Lost parcel rate

The lost parcel rate measures the share of parcels never delivered to the end customer.

Formula:

Lost parcel rate = lost parcels / parcels shipped × 100

This KPI has a direct impact on margin and customer satisfaction. A lost parcel can lead to a reshipment, a refund, a carrier claim and significant support handling time.

The volume of lost parcels has to be tracked, but detection time matters just as much. The later a lost parcel is identified, the more expensive resolution becomes and the more the customer experience suffers.

7. Carrier return rate

The carrier return rate measures parcels sent back to the sender without a final delivery.

Formula:

Carrier return rate = parcels returned by the carrier / parcels shipped × 100

This KPI can reveal problems with addresses, pickup points, collection windows or customer communication. It is particularly useful for understanding why some parcels never make it to the end of the delivery journey.

A high carrier return rate can also indicate that customers are not getting the right information at the right moment — for example when a parcel is available at a pickup point or when an action is required.

8. Tracking data quality

Tracking quality measures how reliable, precise and up to date the statuses sent by the carrier are.

Poor tracking data limits what teams can act on. It complicates support work, reduces logistics visibility and makes it impossible to keep customers properly informed.

The main things to monitor are the share of parcels with tracking available, how often statuses update, how quickly events are reported, missing statuses and status consistency.

This is one of the benefits of a logistics dashboard: making carrier data readable in a consistent way, even when each provider uses its own statuses or formats. Teams can then compare performance more easily, without relying solely on carrier portals or manual exports.

9. Cost per delivered parcel

Cost per delivered parcel makes it possible to compare carriers on their real cost, not just on their contracted rate.

Formula:

Cost per delivered parcel = total transport cost / number of parcels delivered

The total cost should ideally include shipping fees, surcharges, redeliveries, returns, disputes, refunds, reshipments and the support cost tied to incidents.

A cheaper carrier can therefore end up costing more if it generates a lot of delays, losses or support contacts. Conversely, a more expensive carrier can be profitable if it reduces incidents on sensitive flows.

10. Delivery-related support contact rate

This KPI measures the share of orders that generate a customer request related to delivery.

Formula:

Delivery contact rate = delivery tickets / orders shipped × 100

It links carrier performance directly to the operational workload of customer service. Two carriers can have similar delivery times yet generate very different ticket volumes.

The reasons worth tracking include “Where is my parcel?” requests, delays, parcels marked delivered but not received, pickup point problems, damaged parcels and returns.

This KPI is particularly useful for measuring a carrier’s hidden costs. It means performance is not judged on price or delivery time alone, but also on the effort demanded of internal teams.

The role of the logistics dashboard in carrier management

Tracking logistics KPIs across several files or carrier portals quickly hits its limits. Data is scattered, statuses are not always comparable and incidents can be spotted too late.

A logistics dashboard makes it possible to centralise carrier data and compare performance on a common basis. It then becomes far simpler to analyse performance by carrier, country, warehouse, delivery method or time period.

The value is not just cleaner reporting. Above all, a good dashboard helps teams make better decisions: adjusting a delivery promise, preparing a carrier review, reallocating volumes, identifying an at-risk flow or prioritising the most urgent incidents.

With that in mind, the Shipup by ZigZag logistics dashboard consolidates carrier data into a single interface, including for multi-account, multi-brand or multi-market organisations.

Teams can track volumes, delivery performance and incidents in real time, compare results across entities and spot anomalies faster. Because the data is standardised from the actual order date, reporting becomes more reliable without heavy configuration.
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The Shipup by ZigZag delivery incident dashboard complements this approach by helping teams identify anomalies, filter incidents and catch at-risk parcels earlier.

The main benefit is that it connects three dimensions that are often analysed separately: carrier performance, customer experience and operational cost.

How should you prioritise logistics KPIs?

If you are starting from scratch, there is no need to track too many indicators from day one. It is better to begin with the most actionable KPIs.

Once these indicators are under control, the analysis can get more granular: performance by postcode, pickup point, product type, peak trading period or service level.

Logistics KPIs are essential for properly evaluating an e-commerce carrier. They make it possible to move past simple rate comparison and analyse real performance: delivery times, incidents, returns, tracking quality, hidden costs and the impact on customer support.

To be useful, this tracking has to be structured, regular and segmented. A good logistics dashboard does more than surface problems. It helps teams understand root causes, prioritise actions and challenge their carriers more effectively.

In e-commerce, carrier performance is not just a logistics matter. It directly influences customer satisfaction, support workload, margin and loyalty.