Transit time
Transit time is the duration a shipment spends moving — from when the carrier picks it up to when it reaches the destination. It is a subset of lead time, excluding order processing and customs handling.
Port-to-port transit time is what carriers publish: ocean voyages of 14-40 days depending on lane, air freight of 1-5 days, trucking of 1-7 days depending on distance and mode.
Door-to-door transit time is what the customer experiences. It includes pickup at origin, port handling, ocean transit, port handling at destination, drayage, and last-mile delivery. For an ocean shipment, door-to-door can be 50% longer than port-to-port.
Carriers publish target transit times. Actuals diverge in real-world conditions — congestion, weather, blank sailings, equipment shortages. The gap between published and measured transit time is one of the most useful supplier/carrier KPIs.
Related terms
- Lead timeLead time is the elapsed time between placing an order and receiving the goods. It includes supplier production, shipping, customs, and inland transit — every step from order entry to dock arrival.
- ETA / ETD (estimated time of arrival / departure)ETA and ETD are estimated transit times: ETA is when cargo is expected to arrive at a destination; ETD is when it is expected to leave an origin. Both are estimates, revised continuously as the journey progresses.
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