UK Haulage in 2025: Key Stats, Challenges and What Comes Next

If you work in UK haulage, you already know that 2025 hasn't exactly been a year to celebrate. Freight volumes are down, costs are up, and the pressure on margins is real. But understanding exactly where the industry stands — the numbers, the challenges, and where things are heading — can help you make smarter decisions for your fleet. Here's a clear-eyed look at the state of UK haulage right now.

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The Numbers: What the Data Actually Shows

GB-registered HGVs lifted 1.53 billion tonnes of goods in 2025 — a 3% drop compared to 2024. Total vehicle kilometres fell by 2% to 19.0 billion km, and goods moved dropped by 4% to 162 billion tonne-kilometres. These aren't dramatic collapses, but they represent a clear direction of travel for an industry that was already running lean.

One figure that stands out — and hasn't budged in years — is empty running. Around 31% of all HGV kilometres (that's 5.9 billion km) are driven without a load. That's a structural inefficiency baked into the industry, and it's costing operators real money every single day. The average haul also edged down slightly to 105 kilometres, suggesting more regional movement and fewer long-distance runs.

The picture these stats paint is one of an industry in "endurance mode" — not in freefall, but not growing either. And that makes every decision about cost, compliance, and efficiency count more than ever.

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The Financial Squeeze: Margins Are Razor-Thin

Here's the one that stings. Pre-tax profit margins for leading operators have slipped to around 1.58%. That is an incredibly tight margin for businesses managing expensive assets, complex logistics, and a workforce that's hard to recruit and retain.

Non-fuel operating costs have risen sharply — insurance, tyres, vehicle maintenance — and for a standard 44-tonne artic, annual costs (excluding fuel) increased by approximately £9,000 year-on-year. That's not a rounding error. For smaller operators running five or ten trucks, that adds up fast.

Perhaps most concerning is the cash position across the sector. Nearly 40% of hauliers are considered at risk of insolvency or major restructuring, with a significant proportion of transport and storage companies carrying minimal or no cash reserves. If your buffer is thin, one bad month — a vehicle off the road, a delayed payment, a failed inspection — can tip the balance.

What This Means in Practice

This is exactly the environment where compliance shortcuts become tempting — and where they're most dangerous. An improvement notice, a prohibition, or a loss of your operator's licence doesn't just cost money in the short term. It can end the business. Operators who use tools like Fleet77 to stay on top of driver defect checks, maintenance schedules, and vehicle records aren't just ticking boxes — they're protecting their licence and their livelihood.

The DVSA Earned Recognition scheme sets out clear audit standards for HGV operators, covering everything from driver licence checks to vehicle maintenance intervals. Meeting those standards consistently is what keeps your OCRS score healthy and the DVSA's attention elsewhere.

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The Driver Shortage Isn't Going Away

The headlines about the driver crisis peaked in 2021, but the problem hasn't been solved — it's just become background noise. By Q4 2025, 26% of HGV businesses reported active driver vacancies, up from 24% the previous year. That's a slow creep in the wrong direction.

The bigger structural issue is age. Around half of all HGV drivers in the UK are over 50. Retirements are accelerating, and there simply aren't enough younger drivers coming through to replace them. Getting new drivers trained and licensed is still a costly, time-consuming process — and retention is a challenge when conditions are tough and pay is being squeezed.

What Operators Can Do

Holding onto the drivers you have is more important than it's ever been. That means fair treatment, clear communication, and not cutting corners on things that affect their working day — like making sure defect reporting is straightforward and that vehicles are properly maintained. Drivers who feel like their safety concerns are taken seriously are more likely to stay.

It's also worth noting that under DVSA Earned Recognition standards, operators are expected to maintain robust systems for driver licence checks and working time compliance. Getting that right protects your drivers and your business.

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Border Reforms and the Road Ahead

There's some genuine good news on the cross-border side. Digital reforms — particularly the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) and the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) — have made a real difference to international haulage. Border dwell times are down, and a significant portion of consignments are now clearing without physical inspection. For operators running European routes, that's a meaningful improvement in efficiency.

Looking further ahead, the longer-term outlook is more optimistic. Analysts forecast the UK road freight market to reach around USD 75.95 billion by 2031, driven by major infrastructure projects like HS2 and the Lower Thames Crossing, the continued growth of e-commerce, and demand for more specialised logistics services. The fundamentals of the industry — moving 89% of all goods across the UK — aren't going anywhere.

The operators who come out the other side of this tough period in good shape will be the ones who kept their compliance watertight, managed their costs carefully, and didn't let the pressure push them into cutting corners.

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Keeping Your Head Above Water

2025 has been a hard year for UK haulage. But hard years also separate well-run businesses from poorly-run ones. Staying compliant, keeping accurate records, managing maintenance proactively, and understanding your numbers aren't just good habits — they're survival tools in a 1.58% margin environment.

Whether you're a transport manager trying to stay on top of a growing fleet, or an owner-driver keeping everything together yourself, having the right systems in place makes a real difference.

Try Fleet77 free or get in touch to see how it works.