UK Haulage in 2025: Key Stats, Trends and What They Mean

The UK haulage industry has had a lot to digest in 2025. From falling new truck registrations to record electric vehicle numbers, a chronic driver shortage, and some long-overdue infrastructure news — there's plenty for fleet operators and transport managers to get their heads around. Here's a breakdown of what's happening, why it matters, and what you might want to do about it.

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The Fleet Picture: Fewer New Trucks, but a Green Surge

New HGV registrations dropped by 10.0% in 2025, according to SMMT data, with just 40,504 units hitting UK roads. Rigid HGVs took the biggest hit, falling 14.1%, while artics were down 4.3%. The industry had a fairly strong post-pandemic fleet renewal run, and analysts suggest this is simply the market levelling out rather than a sign of deeper trouble.

That said, the headline number masks something genuinely exciting happening at the other end of the market.

Zero-Emission HGVs Are Gaining Momentum

Zero-emission HGV registrations jumped 170.5% in 2025, reaching 587 units — a record high and enough to push the cumulative total of electric trucks on UK roads past 1,000 for the first time.

That's a big percentage, but let's keep it in context: ZEVs still account for just 1.4% of the national fleet. High upfront purchase costs and patchy charging infrastructure — particularly for heavier trunking operations — remain real obstacles. For most operators running 44-tonne artics on long-distance routes, full electrification isn't a practical option yet.

What it does mean, though, is that operators should be thinking about where their fleet sits in the next renewal cycle. Government pressure on clean transport isn't going anywhere, and early adopters in urban distribution and regional work are already finding the economics increasingly workable.

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Costs Are Still Climbing — Know Where to Look

Running a truck in 2025 is expensive. Non-fuel operating costs rose by roughly 5.91% this year, which when you're managing a fleet of any size, adds up fast.

Fuel Duty

One bit of relief: the 5p-per-litre fuel duty cut, originally introduced as a temporary measure, was extended in late 2024. Fuel duty currently sits at 52.95p per litre and will remain there until at least March 2026. Don't bank on it being extended again — it's worth having contingency in your cost planning.

HGV Levy and VED

From 1 April 2025, the HGV Road User Levy and Vehicle Excise Duty both went up in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI). A Euro VI HGV over 38 tonnes now costs approximately £597 per year in VED. Not a massive jump on its own, but combined with everything else, it's another line on the spreadsheet that needs watching.

Road Transport Pricing

The TEG Road Transport Price Index has been volatile. It peaked in May 2025 at 128.2 points — a 3.55% month-on-month rise — as demand for haulage services outpaced courier services for the first time in years. If you're negotiating rates with customers, that's worth knowing. The data backs up what many operators have been feeling on the ground.

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The Driver Shortage Isn't Going Away — But There's a New Route In

The RHA puts the current HGV driver shortfall at somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000. The average driver age is now 51, and fewer than 1% of drivers are under 25. That's not a blip — that's a structural problem that's been building for over a decade.

National Driver CPC: A More Flexible Path

In February 2025, the government introduced the National Driver CPC — a new qualification pathway aimed at people driving exclusively within the UK. The key changes are practical ones:

• Training can now be completed in 3.5-hour blocks rather than the traditional full 7-hour sessions
• Up to 12 hours of e-learning is now permitted within the qualification
• This makes it significantly easier for people to fit training around work or family commitments

It won't solve the shortage overnight, but it removes some of the barriers that were putting people off. If you're trying to bring new drivers through — whether that's sponsoring training or hiring recently qualified drivers — this is relevant to your planning.

For fleet operators already working within frameworks like DVSA Earned Recognition, keeping accurate records of driver qualifications and CPC compliance is essential. The DVSA Earned Recognition audit standards make clear that operators are expected to have robust systems in place for monitoring driver licensing and training records. Tools like TruckCheck can help keep this organised and auditable without the paperwork mountain.

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Infrastructure: The Lower Thames Crossing Gets the Green Light

In March 2025, the government granted planning consent for the Lower Thames Crossing — a £9 billion project that will include the UK's longest road tunnels. When complete, it's expected to roughly double road capacity across the Thames east of London.

For hauliers, this is significant. The Dartford Crossing is a daily pain point for freight traffic heading in and out of the south-east, and the delays it causes cost the industry millions in lost productivity every year. A second crossing won't fix that overnight — construction will take years — but it's a genuine long-term win for road freight moving through that corridor.

If your operation regularly touches the M25 or runs south-east distribution routes, this is one to keep an eye on as project timelines develop.

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What to Take Away

2025 has reinforced a few things that experienced operators already suspected: costs are going up, the workforce is under pressure, and the shift to cleaner vehicles is real but gradual. The businesses that will navigate this best are the ones staying on top of compliance, keeping cost visibility tight, and not waiting until the last minute to plan for the changes coming down the road.

Keeping your fleet documentation, driver records, and vehicle checks in order isn't just good practice — it's what regulators like the DVSA expect, and what good operators do as a matter of course. TruckCheck is built to make exactly that side of fleet management easier to manage day to day.

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Want to see how it works for your operation? Try TruckCheck free or get in touch — we're happy to walk you through it.