UK Haulage in 2025: Key Facts Every Operator Needs to Know

The UK haulage industry has always been tough, but 2025 has tested operators in ways that feel genuinely different. Between shrinking freight volumes, surging non-fuel costs, and a driver shortage that simply won't go away, running a compliant and profitable fleet right now takes more than experience — it takes a clear picture of where things stand. Here's a breakdown of the key facts, figures, and trends every UK operator needs to understand as we move through 2025 and into 2026.

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The Numbers: What's Actually Happening on the Road

Let's start with the headline stats, because they matter more than most operators realise.

GB-registered HGVs lifted 1.53 billion tonnes of goods in 2025 — a 3% drop from the previous year. Total vehicle distance fell 2% to 19.0 billion kilometres, and total goods moved dropped 4% to 162 billion tonne-kilometres. Average haul length has shrunk to just 105 km, which points to shorter, lighter runs becoming the norm.

But here's the figure that should make every transport manager sit up: 31% of all vehicle-kilometres — roughly 5.9 billion km — were driven empty. That's not just inefficient, it's money straight out of your pocket. With margins already sitting at around 1.5% to 2%, empty running isn't an abstract problem. It's the difference between staying afloat and going under.

Despite all of this, road haulage still moves approximately 81% of all domestic freight in the UK. The industry is absolutely essential to the economy — it just isn't being rewarded like it is.

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Costs Are Up — And It's Not Just Diesel

Diesel prices stabilised a little early in 2025, which felt like a small mercy. But the relief didn't last long, and fuel was only part of the story anyway.

Non-fuel operating costs rose by 5.91% across the year. Vehicle maintenance costs jumped 8.1%, and insurance climbed 7.9%. Labour costs continued to bite too, particularly for operators trying to recruit and retain qualified HGV drivers in a tight market.

To cover these rising costs, haulage prices have had to go up. The TEG Road Transport Price Index recorded a 7.63% year-on-year increase as of May 2025. That's a significant rise, and while it sounds positive, it's largely just operators trying to stop losing money rather than actually making more of it.

The fuel duty freeze, which had been a lifeline for many hauliers, remained in place until September 2025 — but the reversal of the 5p duty cut later in the year added yet more pressure heading into the winter.

The message here is straightforward: every unnecessary cost needs to be examined and challenged. That means keeping vehicles maintained on schedule (which also keeps you on the right side of DVSA compliance requirements), managing downtime properly, and making sure you're not carrying inefficiencies that you've simply stopped noticing.

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The Driver Shortage: Still Very Much a Problem

The HGV driver shortage has been a headline issue for years now, and 2025 hasn't fixed it. By late in the year, 26% of businesses reported having HGV driver vacancies — up from 24% the year before.

The Road Haulage Association estimates the industry needs to recruit between 40,000 and 60,000 new drivers every year for the next five years just to keep pace with demand and replace drivers who are retiring. The average age of an HGV driver in the UK is currently 51 years old — that retirement cliff isn't coming, it's already here.

Government Skills Bootcamps have helped bring some new drivers through, and they remain an important part of the pipeline. But high training costs and poor roadside facilities — particularly the lack of decent rest stops and welfare facilities — continue to put people off the profession before they've even started.

For operators, this means retention matters as much as recruitment. Drivers who feel valued, who have predictable rotas, and who aren't being pushed into compliance grey areas are far more likely to stick around. Making sure your operation is well-run and genuinely compliant — not just on paper — is part of that picture. Tools like TruckCheck can help drivers and transport managers stay on top of daily walkaround checks and defect reporting without it feeling like extra admin, which makes a difference to morale as much as compliance.

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Decarbonisation: The Deadlines Are Set, The Infrastructure Isn't Ready

The UK government has confirmed the key regulatory deadlines every operator now needs to plan around:

• 2035: Ban on new diesel HGVs under 26 tonnes
• 2040: Ban on all new diesel HGVs

These aren't distant targets anymore. A truck bought new today could still be in service in 2035, which means fleet planning decisions made right now will be affected by these rules.

The government announced 54 planned infrastructure locations for zero-emission HGVs in March 2025, aimed at easing what many operators describe as "charging anxiety." It's a start, but the reality on the ground is still patchy.

Adoption of electric HGVs is happening — but unevenly. Around 49% of large fleets have some kind of plan in place for electric vehicles. For micro-businesses running one to four vehicles, that figure drops to just 8%. High upfront costs are the main barrier, and until purchase prices fall or support schemes improve, many smaller operators are watching and waiting.

That's understandable, but waiting shouldn't mean ignoring the issue. Now is the time to understand your fleet's emissions profile, start conversations with your leasing or finance providers, and keep an eye on what grants and incentives become available.

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Compliance: Protecting Your Margin in a Tough Market

With margins this thin, a prohibition notice, an improvement notice, or an operator licence issue isn't just an inconvenience — it can genuinely threaten a business. DVSA's Earned Recognition scheme sets out clear audit standards for HGV operators, and meeting those standards consistently is the baseline expectation for any serious operator in 2025.

That means documented daily walkaround checks, proper defect reporting and sign-off, accurate driver hours records, and maintenance schedules that are followed rather than just filed. TruckCheck is built around exactly these requirements, keeping everything in one place so there's nothing falling through the cracks.

Moving into 2026, the operators who will be best placed aren't necessarily the biggest — they're the ones running the tightest, most compliant, most efficient operations. The margins don't forgive much right now, and good record-keeping is one of the few things genuinely within your control.

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