SSL Research Desk · data study
How many days distance really takes on Indian roads
Delivery days against road distance, measured on 1,33,821 consignments we delivered in FY2025-26. Medians and the middle half, by distance band, zone and load type.
Across 1,33,821 road consignments we delivered in FY2025-26, the median time from booking to delivery was 1 day under 100 km and 7 days at 2,000 km and over. Beyond 500 km, part loads take longer than full truckloads. This is history, not a promise.
Cite as: SSL booking register, FY2025-26.
Headline
The study in three numbers
1,33,821
delivered consignments measured
Source: SSL booking register · as of FY2025-26
1
median days, under 100 km
Source: SSL booking register · as of FY2025-26
7
median days, 2,000 km and over
Source: SSL booking register · as of FY2025-26
Findings
Days rise with distance, and hubs add time
Show the data table (8 rows)
| Distance band | Consignments | Median days | Lower quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 100 km | 22,041 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 100 to 250 km | 10,691 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 250 to 500 km | 26,252 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 500 to 750 km | 12,624 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 750 to 1,000 km | 3,140 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 km | 20,228 | 8 | 5 | 15 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 km | 35,612 | 9 | 6 | 16 |
| 2,000 km and over | 3,233 | 7 | 5 | 9 |
Source: SSL Research Desk, Safe & Secure Logistics operating data. Download CSV (8 rows)
Show the data table (8 rows)
| Distance band | FTL median days | FTL consignments | Part load median days | Part load consignments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 100 km | 1 | 21,585 | 3 | 456 |
| 100 to 250 km | 1 | 10,646 | 1 | 45 |
| 250 to 500 km | 1 | 25,309 | 1 | 943 |
| 500 to 750 km | 2 | 12,187 | 3 | 437 |
| 750 to 1,000 km | 3 | 3,040 | 9 | 100 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 km | 4 | 6,918 | 10 | 13,310 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 km | 6 | 8,760 | 10 | 26,852 |
| 2,000 km and over | 7 | 2,943 | 11 | 290 |
Source: SSL Research Desk, Safe & Secure Logistics operating data. Download CSV (8 rows)
By zone
Median days by delivery zone
Median, with the middle half in brackets. Cells with fewer than 30 consignments show n/a. Zones follow the delivery state.
| Zone | Under 100 km | 100 to 250 km | 250 to 500 km | 500 to 750 km | 750 to 1,000 km | 1,000 to 1,500 km | 1,500 to 2,000 km | 2,000 km and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 1 (1 to 1) | 1 (1 to 2) | 1 (1 to 2) | 2 (2 to 3) | 3 (2 to 5) | 4 (3 to 7) | 6 (5 to 8) | 7 (5 to 8) |
| South | 1 (1 to 3) | 1 (1 to 1) | 1 (1 to 2) | 2 (1 to 3) | 3 (2 to 4) | 4 (3 to 5) | 6 (4 to 8) | 6 (4 to 8) |
| East | 12 (1 to 25) | 2 (1 to 19) | 1 (1 to 2) | 2 (1 to 4) | 17 (6 to 33) | 10 (7 to 19) | 10 (7 to 17) | 7 (5 to 10) |
| West | 1 (0 to 1) | 1 (1 to 1) | 1 (1 to 2) | 1 (1 to 2) | 2 (2 to 3) | 4 (3 to 6) | 5 (4 to 8) | 7 (6 to 9) |
| Central | 1 (1 to 1) | 1 (1 to 2) | 2 (1 to 3) | 3 (2 to 5) | 4 (3 to 5) | 5 (4 to 8) | 8 (5 to 15) | 7 (6 to 13) |
| North East | 0 (0 to 1) | 1 (1 to 1) | 1 (1 to 3) | 3 (2 to 5) | 15.5 (6.3 to 25) | n/a | 6 (5 to 8) | 9 (7 to 11) |
Method
How we measured it
Records. Every consignment in the SSL booking register from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 marked delivered with a recorded delivery date, de-duplicated by consignment number. 68% of the measured consignments are full truckloads.
Transit. Delivery date minus booking date, in calendar days, so it includes loading, hub handling and unloading. 2,535 consignments over 60 days were left out as likely late status updates.
Distance. Great-circle distance between the pickup and delivery pincodes (India Post office locations) multiplied by 1.3, the same road factor our distance calculator uses. 21,992 consignments whose pincodes are not on the India Post file were left out.
Zones. The delivery pincode's state, grouped into North, South, East, West, Central and North East.
Limits. Only consignments with a recorded delivery date are counted, and our deliveries lean towards the East, so this is not a random sample of Indian freight. A recorded delivery date may include days waiting for the consignee to collect. No customer, supplier, driver or vehicle is identified.
Cite as. Safe & Secure Logistics (SSL Research Desk), "Transit time by distance", SSL booking register, FY2025-26. https://safeandsecure.in/research/transit-by-distance/
Frequently asked questions
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