Nine Logistics KPIs an Owner Should See Every Monday

Moving companies and logistics companies run the same engine: trucks, crews or drivers, fuel, routes, a promise to the customer, and cash that arrives after the work. Because of that, the same trucking and logistics KPIs work for both. Therefore, nine numbers, reviewed every Monday, tell either owner where to look.

So this post shows how the two businesses are alike, where they differ, and how each KPI reads in each one. The example figures are illustrative, so replace them with your own.

How Are Moving Companies and Logistics Companies Alike?

Start with the assets, because both businesses depend on trucks that cost money whether they roll or sit. Both also pay people to run them. A moving crew and a driver are different jobs, but each is a large, controllable cost, so labor and overtime matter in both. Fuel, repairs, and insurance then follow the miles, and the customer expects the job done on time and without damage.

Regulation points the same way. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees truck safety, and it also runs a household goods program for interstate movers. So both kinds of owner answer to one federal agency when they cross state lines. Because of that shared structure, one scorecard can serve both.

Where Do Moving and Logistics Companies Differ?

The differences are real, so the scorecard flexes. Movers sell to households and small businesses, handle goods piece by piece, and often run packing and storage as side lines. Logistics and freight companies, however, sell to commercial accounts, haul by the load or the lane, and measure the work in miles. As a result, a mover watches packing supplies and storage occupancy, while a carrier watches cost per mile and utilization.

Still, the underlying questions match. Are the trucks earning? Is labor under control? Are customers paying? Is the work coming back clean? So the nine trucking and logistics KPIs below answer those questions for either business.

What Are the Nine Trucking and Logistics KPIs, and Why Do They Fit Both Businesses?

Each KPI appears in dollars and as a percentage of revenue, so the table lists the cadence and the formula for each one.

How Does Each KPI Read in a Moving Company and in a Logistics Company?

Claims and discounts protect revenue. For example, in a moving company, claims come from damaged or lost items, and discounts come from price concessions on estimates. A logistics company sees the same lines as cargo claims and rate credits. Either way, one large payment can distort a week, so read the number with and without it.

Direct labor and overtime measure people. A moving company counts crews and helpers, but a carrier counts drivers and dock staff. Overtime also climbs in both when schedules are tight or staffing is thin, and it often signals a problem before the margin does.

Fleet expense, fuel, and storage occupancy measure assets. Trucks need repairs and fuel in both businesses, and bulk fills and repair invoices arrive in lumps, so a month gives the fair read. Storage occupancy tracks a mover’s warehouse space. However, a logistics company can track the same idea as dock, yard, or trailer utilization.

Materials and marketing measure supporting spend. Movers buy boxes, pads, and wrap, but carriers buy pallets, straps, and load-securing supplies. Both also spend to win work, and a one-time item can distort a month in either business.

Why Do Some KPIs Run Weekly and Others Run Monthly?

First, match each KPI to a clock that fits how the cost behaves. Events trigger claims and discounts, so you read them weekly and respond fast. Direct labor and overtime follow payroll, so you measure them against revenue for the same pay period. Fuel, fleet repairs, supplies, and advertising are lumpy, however, so you read them against the full month.

The denominator matters just as much, because the wrong one distorts the ratio. Next, divide weekly lines by weekly revenue, pay-period lines by pay-period revenue, and monthly lines by monthly revenue. Mixing them is a mistake, because the ratios look precise and mean nothing.

What Does a Finished Weekly Report Look Like?

The report opens with the bottom line, not the data, because owners act on decisions first. First, it lists the two or three things that need a decision from management. Then come the KPI table, short commentary on what drove each line, a four-week trend, and an open items list. Each line also shows a target and a status: on target, off target, or tracked.

Next, here is how a readout for a moving company might look. These numbers are illustrative, but the targets are examples only. But a logistics company would swap the storage line for utilization.

Two lines need a conversation: claims and fuel. Everything else is either on target or still building history. A good scorecard, therefore, tells you where to spend your Monday.

How Do You Handle One-Off Items and Set Targets?

One large item can distort a ratio. Suppose weekly revenue is $80,000 and claims paid total $3,900, which is 4.9 percent. But $3,200 of that came from a single payment. Then, without it, claims are $700, or 0.9 percent, inside the target. Instead of deleting the one-off, show both numbers and name the cause.

For targets, first start with your own history. Then take the trailing 12-month average for each line and note the usual range by season. Next, when a line leaves its normal range, ask one question: what changed? Do not borrow targets from another company, because a mover with a storage facility and a carrier without one have different cost structures.

Which Trucking and Logistics KPIs Should a Fleet Add?

A trucking or freight operation shares the pay-period and monthly lines, but it also adds a different set of operating numbers. First, add cost per mile, which is total operating cost divided by total miles driven. Next, add revenue per truck, which is weekly revenue divided by active trucks. Then track utilization, which is revenue-generating miles or hours divided by total available miles or hours.

Also watch on-time performance, which is on-time jobs divided by total jobs. Finally, add two cash lines: DSO on commercial accounts, which is commercial A/R divided by trailing 90-day commercial revenue times 90, and cash against forecast, which is actual ending cash minus forecast ending cash. A mover can add these too, because the cash question is the same.

However, a benchmark helps with cost per mile. The American Transportation Research Institute reports that the industry-average cost to operate a truck was $2.336 per mile in 2025, a record. Excluding fuel, however, it was $1.854 per mile. ATRI surveys heavy for-hire carriers, so treat the figure as a rough cross-check if you run box trucks. Still, your own trend matters more.

For the cash line, first build a rolling forecast and compare it to actual cash each week. Our guide to the 13-week rolling cash flow forecast also shows how. Then, because fuel timing and slow-paying accounts squeeze cash, read our guide to accounting for trucking companies.

Who Should Own the Monday Review?

First, give the review one owner, usually the operations lead, with the bookkeeper or controller supplying the financial lines. Keep the meeting to thirty minutes, and then, for every line outside its range, assign one action and one date, because that turns the scorecard into a habit, not a report that nobody opens.

Also, if you run a moving company, read our guide to a fractional CFO for moving companies. Then, for the labor and truck lines, our guide to job costing for movers shows how to build the rates, and you can see how our recurring partnership runs this rhythm for clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are moving companies and logistics companies similar?

Yes, in how they run. Both depend on trucks, crews or drivers, fuel, and on-time delivery, and both carry claims risk and wait for customers to pay, but they differ mainly in who they sell to and how they measure the work.

What trucking and logistics KPIs work for both a mover and a carrier?

Nine lines cover most of it: claims, discounts, storage occupancy, direct labor, overtime, fleet expense, fuel, materials and packing, and marketing. A carrier then adds cost per mile, utilization, on-time performance, DSO, and cash against forecast.

How does storage occupancy apply to a logistics company?

A logistics company can track the same idea as dock, yard, or trailer utilization, because either way it measures how much of your fixed capacity earns revenue.

Why do some KPIs use weekly revenue and others use monthly revenue?

Because the costs behave differently. Events trigger claims and discounts, so weekly works. Then labor follows payroll, so use pay-period revenue. Fuel, repairs, supplies, and advertising arrive in lumps, so a full month gives a fairer ratio.

How do you calculate direct labor as a percentage of revenue?

First, divide direct labor cost for a pay period by the revenue earned in that same pay period. Use the same dates for both, so the ratio compares like with like.

Should I exclude one-time items from my KPIs?

Show the number both ways instead of deleting the item. First, report the full figure, then the figure without the one-off, and name the cause. That also keeps the data honest while showing the underlying rate.

How does ATRI’s cost per mile compare to a moving company’s?

ATRI’s 2025 average of $2.336 per mile covers heavy for-hire trucks. A moving company with box trucks has a different cost structure, so use it as a rough reference, but focus on your own trend.

The Bottom Line

A moving company and a logistics company share more than they differ on. Both run trucks, pay people, burn fuel, carry claims risk, and wait for cash, so the same trucking and logistics KPIs serve both.

Read the nine lines together every week, on the right clock, because each swing then has a target and a reason. Most of the data already lives in your accounting, payroll, and dispatch systems, but the missing piece is usually the habit of pulling it into one page.

Finally, if you’re not sure your business is tracking the right numbers at the right pace, schedule a free Financial Health Evaluation with Westport Financial.