Measuring Success: Delivery Metrics Every SMB Should Track

Delivering on time isn’t just good customer service—it’s a performance metric. For small and mid-sized businesses managing local delivery, keeping things running smoothly often comes down to tracking the right numbers. Whether you’re dropping off meal kits, managing floral delivery, or offering same-day laundry delivery, the ability to measure and act on your delivery metrics is what separates consistent growth from constant chaos.

But knowing what to track—and why—can be a challenge. With so many moving pieces, it’s tempting to focus on what’s easy to count instead of what actually drives improvement. This guide will help you cut through the noise and zero in on the delivery KPIs that keep your team accountable, your customers satisfied, and your operations lean.

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Table of Contents

• Why Tracking Delivery Metrics Matters
• On-Time Delivery Rate (OTD)
• Average Delivery Time
• Cost per Delivery
• Failed Deliveries and Redelivery Rate
• Customer Satisfaction and Feedback
• Route Efficiency and Mileage
• Driver Performance Insights
• EasyRoutes: Metrics Built Into Every Route
• Customer Spotlight: Illuminate Food Gets Smarter With Every Drop-Off
• Final Thoughts: Measure What Moves You Forward

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Why Tracking Delivery Metrics Matters

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Metrics give your business clarity. They show where you’re excelling, where you’re bleeding time or money, and where a small tweak can make a big difference.

For example, grocery delivery teams can use metrics to reduce spoilage and delays, while furniture delivery businesses might track time-on-site to minimize loading issues. Across industries, the value of delivery data lies in making better decisions faster—and preventing small issues from becoming big ones.

Businesses using route optimization tools to improve tracking and logistics have reported a 20% reduction in total mileage, which translates to fuel savings, faster delivery times, and better customer experiences.

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On-Time Delivery Rate (OTD)

Your on-time delivery rate is the clearest measure of how well your operation meets customer expectations. It tracks the percentage of deliveries completed within the promised time window. For pizza, coffee, or bookstore deliveries, OTD is a make-or-break metric.

Even one late delivery can erode trust. But consistently hitting your time windows builds loyalty—and helps you win recurring business. If your OTD is below 95%, it’s time to examine your routing, staffing, and communication workflows.

With a tool like EasyRoutes, delivery windows and ETAs are integrated into every route, helping your team stay on track from the moment orders hit the schedule.

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Average Delivery Time

This metric tracks how long it takes, on average, to complete a delivery from dispatch to drop-off. It’s essential for teams doing butcher delivery, medical supply delivery, or garden center delivery—where time sensitivity is critical.

Monitoring this number helps you understand how traffic, route planning, or driver behavior is affecting your efficiency. High variability may signal an issue with route sequencing or peak-time planning.

Improving this metric doesn’t just speed things up—it also increases your capacity. Faster deliveries mean you can handle more stops without adding more hours or drivers.

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Cost per Delivery

You can’t optimize what you don’t understand. Cost per delivery includes fuel, labor, vehicle costs, and overhead related to each order fulfilled. It’s a crucial metric for every business, especially those in lower-margin categories like produce delivery or clothing delivery.

Knowing this number lets you price your service intelligently, evaluate promotions, and decide whether to adjust delivery zones or time windows. If your cost is creeping up, automation and batching might be the low-hanging fruit to get it back in check.

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Failed Deliveries and Redelivery Rate

A failed delivery is more than a missed stop—it’s wasted fuel, time, and customer trust. This metric helps identify how often drivers are forced to reschedule or reattempt drop-offs, and why.

It’s especially relevant for teams offering catering, firewood delivery, or subscription box delivery, where coordination with the customer can be tricky. High redelivery rates often point to gaps in delivery notifications or unclear drop-off instructions.

Solutions like EasyRoutes can reduce failed deliveries by sending real-time ETAs and delivery status updates—so customers know when to expect you and how to prepare.

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Customer Satisfaction and Feedback

Sometimes, the most important numbers are the ones your customers give you. Track post-delivery ratings, survey responses, and comments to identify service gaps or delivery problems that data alone might miss.

A timely delivery that arrived soggy, broken, or at the wrong door is still a failure in the customer’s eyes. For businesses like cleaners, bakery delivery, or plant store delivery, customer sentiment often hinges on presentation and handling—not just punctuality.

Monitor satisfaction trends, share feedback with your drivers, and make feedback loops part of your improvement process.

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Route Efficiency and Mileage

Tracking mileage per route and per delivery gives you visibility into fuel costs, driver productivity, and environmental impact. Businesses using route optimization tools have already seen that cutting route mileage by 20% also means faster deliveries and reduced wear and tear on vehicles.

If you’re managing hardware delivery, seafood delivery, or laundry delivery, pay close attention to how your routes are constructed. Are you doubling back? Are zones too wide? Shortening routes often yields quicker drop-offs and lower costs.

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Driver Performance Insights

Drivers are your frontline—and their performance matters. Metrics like number of deliveries per shift, time between stops, and proof-of-delivery accuracy give you insight into where support or training is needed.

This is especially useful for businesses delivering auto parts, meal kits, or pet supplies. Set clear expectations for what “good” looks like, then use that data to celebrate wins and address issues constructively.

And don’t forget—happy drivers drive better. Make sure your systems support them, not slow them down.

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EasyRoutes: Metrics Built Into Every Route

When you use EasyRoutes, delivery metrics aren’t an afterthought—they’re built in. From route planning to real-time tracking and notifications, EasyRoutes collects the data you need to manage performance and spot inefficiencies early.

Whether you're handling deliveries for meal kits, flowers, or a bookstore, EasyRoutes helps you reduce planning time, improve accuracy, and keep customers informed. You can view route performance at a glance, track driver activity, and refine your delivery workflow without spreadsheets or guesswork.

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Customer Spotlight: Illuminate Food Gets Smarter With Every Drop-Off

Illuminate Food, a local grocery delivery business, realized their growing order volume was also growing their delivery times. Without a clear sense of their performance, they couldn’t identify what needed to change.

After implementing EasyRoutes, they gained real-time visibility into delivery windows, mileage, and stop times. With accurate metrics in hand, they optimized their batching strategy, reduced delays, and improved on-time performance—earning better reviews and fewer support calls.

With EasyRoutes, every delivery became a learning opportunity.

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Final Thoughts: Measure What Moves You Forward

For growing delivery businesses, tracking the right metrics isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about clarity. When you measure outcomes that matter, you make better decisions, grow more sustainably, and give customers a consistently great experience.

From pizza delivery to butcher delivery, medical supplies to plants, the smartest delivery operations are the ones that never stop improving.

If you're ready to transform your delivery data into actionable insights, Roundtrip.ai gives you the tools to deliver with confidence, measure success, and keep moving forward.