Road Haulage Facts and Stats

Road Haulage Facts and Stats

Road haulage is essential for the people and businesses of the UK.

The productivity and competitiveness of the UK economy is dependent upon having an efficient road haulage sector and road infrastructure that works for all users.

It is important to remember that everything we eat, drink and wear depends on road haulage services. We would have no homes to live in or jobs to go to without trucks, and the companies and drivers that operate them. The vehicles are seen every day – but are less often understood.

A few facts:

  • 89% of all goods transported by land in Great Britain are moved directly by road (but even the 11% that is not moved by road often needs road haulage to complete journeys to/from ports, airports or rail terminals). 
  • 98% of all food and agricultural products in Great Britain are transported by road freight. 
  • 98% of all consumer products and machinery in Great Britain are transported by road freight. 
  • 2.54 million People work in the haulage and logistics industry.
  • The sector is the UK’s fifth largest employer.
  • 600,000 Goods Vehicle driving licence holders.
  • Industry worth £124Bn GVA to UK economy.
  • 493,600 commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are registered in the UK. 

Road transport is a highly competitive and low-margin business. It is a service-driven industry, responding to fluctuating customer demand.

The industry today is strongly IT-led, most operators work within a tightly regulated licensing regime that actively promotes road safety compliance.

The sector has to deal with variable road conditions and sometimes appailing congestion while delivering safely on-time to customers..

Its environmental performance has been transformed; the latest Euro 6 lorries are recognised by TfL as compliant with the planned Ultra-Low Emission Zone.  Modern lorries are efficient and quiet

This is the industry that the Road Haulage Association represents – modern, innovative, clean, committed to safety, a substantial employer in its own right, all-pervasive and essential to the success of the UK economy. Its voice needs to be heard.