OTD (On Time Delivery) is the metric that measures whether delivery or shipment happened inside the agreed window (appointment or promised date). Alone it does not evaluate whether the order arrived complete or correct: that belongs to fill rate and the AND of OTIF (On Time In Full).
If you celebrate 98% OTD with incomplete orders, the customer still sees poor service: you only measured the clock. This guide locks the definition, formula, matrix vs OTIF, real Mexico–U.S. corridor causes, and how to write the window so the number is auditable · not a slide deck.
- punctuality, not completeness
- OT only
- written event + tolerance
- Window
- OTIF = OTD ∩ In Full
- AND
- timestamp + POD on trip ID
- Evidence
Cluster: performance indicators · distribution KPIs · OTIF · fill rate · on-time pickup · lead time · delivery window · proof of delivery (POD) · appointment no-show.
What OTD is (usable answer)
OTD answers: did we arrive or finish inside the published window? It is a key performance indicator (KPI) for time service · appointments, dock capacity, lead time, and in-transit exceptions · not a full commercial scorecard and not a plant metric (OEE / maintenance).
- On-time deliveries
- Trips or orders whose measured event fell inside the window.
- Total deliveries
- Period universe (includes no-shows and documented exclusions).
- Event
- Present, start unload, or finish unload · one per report.
Publish OTD alongside fill rate and OTIF. The full board is in distribution KPIs.
Numeric corridor example
Distribution center in Nuevo León · 200 delivery appointments in the week · window: gate arrival ± 30 min. Result: 178 on time, 12 late, 10 no-shows (count as misses without a typed exclusion).
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Appointments / total deliveries | 200 | Period universe |
| On time (gate ± 30 min) | 178 | Inside window |
| Late | 12 | OTD miss |
| No-show without exclusion | 10 | OTD miss · not “almost” |
| OTD | 89% | (178 ÷ 200) × 100 |
OTD vs OTIF vs fill rate
Three siblings you do not average. Each diagnoses a different bottleneck.
On-time delivery
- Clock vs window only
- Ignores shortages and damage
- Typical owner: traffic / appointments
On time and in full
- Clock AND quantity / SKU / condition
- Fails if late or incomplete
- Typical owner: customer / SLA
OTD
Question: On time?
Failure it ignores alone: Shortages / damage
Typical owner: Traffic / appointments
Question: On time and complete?
Failure it ignores alone: Neither (requires both)
Typical owner: Customer / SLA
Question: Frictionless (OTIF + docs + no damage)?
Failure it ignores alone: Almost nothing · high bar
Typical owner: Extreme service
OTD on the Mexico–U.S. corridor
In Mexico–U.S. trucking, OTD is decided at the DC or plant appointment, in yard dwell, at the border, and in arrival evidence · not on a machine-sensor board. Tie it to the trip file: appointment, status, POD, and when applicable Carta Porte / CFDI on the same ID.
| Layer | What defines “on time” | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment / window | Gate, dock, or unload complete | Endless carrier–receiver dispute |
| Transit | ETA vs reality with an alert owner | Reactive tower by chat |
| Border / customs | Release and leg start | Delay blamed on “freight” without a code |
| Evidence | Timestamp + POD on trip ID | Unauditable OTD · chat wins |
What breaks OTD in freight
Shipper / 3PL punctuality misses are rarely one “slow truck.” They are appointments, yard, evidence, and promises.
Weak appointment close
Symptom: You “arrived fine”; the DC says late
What to type: Written event (gate vs dock)
Yard dwell
Symptom: On time at gate; late to unload
What to type: Does the window measure gate or start?
Late or ambiguous POD
Symptom: Arrived, but no defensible stamp
What to type: POD tied to trip ID
WhatsApp as the clock
Symptom: “Almost there” with no timestamp
What to type: Channel ≠ source of truth
False ETA
Symptom: Customer preps the dock; unit never arrives
What to type: Early alert with an owner
Border / customs
Symptom: Border delay typed as “freight”
What to type: Cause code in the trip file
Accepted partials
Symptom: You mark On Time though the order did not close
What to type: OTD is not OTIF · do not hide In Full
Punctuality references (calibrate)
There is no single official “Mexico OTD.” Use ranges as a compass and freeze your own target by customer and lane.
Retail / CPG with appointments
Directional range: Common SLA target 95–98%
How to use it: Calibrate to real customer penalties
B2B / distribution
Directional range: Typical ops 90–95%
How to use it: Break by lane and carrier
Peaks / season
Directional range: Can drop hard (network reports ~80–90%)
How to use it: Do not compare peak vs normal month unlabeled
World-class (short list)
Directional range: 98%+ with a clear window
How to use it: Only if evidence and exclusions are typed
How to define the window
At retail DCs, plants, and Mexico–U.S. crossings, “on time” without a written event is the endless dispute between carrier and receiver. Freeze these fields before you report OTD.
Event
Question: Present or complete?
Ops example: Gate arrival vs unload start
Note: One per KPI
Window
Question: Start, end, grace?
Ops example: Appointment 10:00 ± 30 min
Note: Written in the agreement
Evidence
Question: GPS, gate, POD?
Ops example: Timestamp + photo/signature on ID
Note: Same trip
Exclusions
Question: What does not count?
Ops example: Customer absent / typed force majeure
Note: Code catalog
Period
Question: Daily or monthly?
Ops example: Weekly by lane / customer
Note: Comparable
How to measure OTD in 5 steps
The process is short; what fails is window and evidence discipline.
Publish window
Clear appointment
Record arrival
Timestamp
Classify
On time or late
Compute %
Period OTD
Cross integrity
With OTIF if needed
Expensive mistakes
Elige un paso para ver el detalle
Detalle del paso · 01
Using OTD as the only service metric
OCL and the trip file
OCL Cargo is an autonomous transportation management system (TMS) with agents that operate screens and portals: it matches window and arrival, binds POD, types tower exceptions, and leaves an auditable trail in the trip file. It coexists with your TMS on day one.
Who decides exceptions? Your team. Agents bring the file ready; they do not invent commercial judgment. When applicable, OCL can stamp invoices and Carta Porte. Typical pilot 6–8 weeks on one corridor; 5–7% recovery pattern when auditing 100% of the pilot flow · pricing signal from ~$50 MXN per shipment depending on scope.
Key takeaways6 points
- OTD = punctuality against the agreed window. It does not require a complete or damage-free order.
- OTIF = OTD + In Full (AND). Fill rate = completeness. Do not average the three and call it “service.”
- In Mexico write the event: gate, dock, or unload complete · and the tolerance.
- Without a delivery window and evidence, OTD is an invented percentage.
- Typical corridor misses are not “the truck”: appointments, yard dwell, no-shows, late POD, and chat as the clock.
- Use OTD to diagnose network and appointments; use OTIF for the customer scorecard. Hub: distribution KPIs.
Is your OTD hiding incomplete orders?
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
OTD (On Time Delivery) is the percentage of deliveries or shipments that meet the agreed time window (appointment or promised date). Alone it does not measure whether the order arrived complete.
OTD looks only at punctuality. OTIF (On Time In Full) requires punctuality and completeness at once (AND). See what is OTIF.
The one published in the appointment or contract: define whether “on time” means gate arrival, dock arrival, or start/finish unload, plus tolerance (± minutes or hours). Without that, OTD is a story.
No. In this guide OTD is a logistics punctuality metric for freight (appointment, transit, POD). OEE and plant maintenance systems measure asset availability and performance. Do not mix the factory board with appointments and shipments.
You can also measure pickup punctuality (origin). Define the event and label it; do not mix origin and destination in the same % without tagging.
Timestamp from GPS, gate, dock portal, or proof of delivery (POD) tied to the trip ID. WhatsApp is not the official clock.
It unifies appointment, arrival, POD, and exceptions in one trip file for a defensible OTD. Who decides exceptions? Your team. When applicable, it can stamp invoices and Carta Porte. Typical pilot 6–8 weeks; 5–7% recovery pattern when auditing 100% of the pilot flow.