Spotlight
Pallet-Track owner northstarr acquires UPN to create largest UK pallet network
Technology-led logistics specialist northstarr Group has acquired United Pallet Network (UK), creating the UK’s largest national pallet network.
Latest news
Haulier whose drivers covered 10,535km without driver cards has licence cut
Pentons Haulage and Coldstorage has had its vehicle operator’s licence cut from 70 vehicles to 60 after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner found significant failures in its management of drivers, tachograph records and vehicle compliance.
Over 200 jobs in pipeline as DPD launches new Darlington distribution centre
DPD has opened a new 63,000sq ft distribution centre at Forrest Park, near Darlington, County Durham which could create 250 jobs, the parcel delivery company has announced.
Pall-Ex Group forges Benelux partnership to drive pan-European growth
Pall-Ex Group is strengthening its pan-European distribution network with the appointment of a new principal partner for the Benelux region.
Haulier whose drivers covered 10,535km without driver cards has licence cut
Pentons Haulage and Coldstorage has had its vehicle operator’s licence cut from 70 vehicles to 60 after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner found significant failures in its management of drivers, tachograph records and vehicle compliance.
Over 200 jobs in pipeline as DPD launches new Darlington distribution centre
DPD has opened a new 63,000sq ft distribution centre at Forrest Park, near Darlington, County Durham which could create 250 jobs, the parcel delivery company has announced.
Pall-Ex Group forges Benelux partnership to drive pan-European growth
Pall-Ex Group is strengthening its pan-European distribution network with the appointment of a new principal partner for the Benelux region.
Heidelberg Materials delivers lower carbon road improvement scheme in Cumbria
Heidelberg Materials UK has worked with Westmorland and Furness Council to improve a 1.5-mile stretch of the A689 in Cumbria.
Scania profits up in Q3 but electric truck demand remains sluggish
Scania delivered a “resilient” performance in the third quarter, with profits up compared to Q3 2025, but market uptake of its electric trucks continued at a glacial pace, the manufacturer revealed this week.
Holland & Barrett forges three-year expanded partnership with Road Truck Services
Fulfilment of Holland & Barrett’s Irish online orders will move from the UK to Ireland next month through an expanded three-year partnership with Irish logistics firm Road Truck Services (RTS), building on an eight-year relationship spanning import, customs, warehousing and distribution.
Industry welcomes reports that Healey’s Budget will lock in fuel duty freeze
Media reports that the Chancellor John Healey will continue the freeze on fuel duty in the Budget tomorrow (28 October) are raising hopes in the logistics industry.
Telford Transport Solutions sold for £320,000 and rebranded Lloyd Baker Logistics
Telford Transport Solutions has been sold for £320,000 to Lloyd Baker Leather, part of the Lloyd Baker Group, in a pre-pack deal which keeps the core management team at the helm and sees the company rebadged as Lloyd Baker Logistics.
Haulier whose drivers covered 10,535km without driver cards has licence cut
Over 200 jobs in pipeline as DPD launches new Darlington distribution centre
Pall-Ex Group forges Benelux partnership to drive pan-European growth
Heidelberg Materials delivers lower carbon road improvement scheme in Cumbria
Scania profits up in Q3 but electric truck demand remains sluggish
Holland & Barrett forges three-year expanded partnership with Road Truck Services
Industry welcomes reports that Healey’s Budget will lock in fuel duty freeze
Telford Transport Solutions sold for £320,000 and rebranded Lloyd Baker Logistics
Operator news
Haulier whose drivers covered 10,535km without driver cards has licence cut
Pentons Haulage and Coldstorage has had its vehicle operator’s licence cut from 70 vehicles to 60 after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner found significant failures in its management of drivers, tachograph records and vehicle compliance.
Over 200 jobs in pipeline as DPD launches new Darlington distribution centre
DPD has opened a new 63,000sq ft distribution centre at Forrest Park, near Darlington, County Durham which could create 250 jobs, the parcel delivery company has announced.
Pall-Ex Group forges Benelux partnership to drive pan-European growth
Pall-Ex Group is strengthening its pan-European distribution network with the appointment of a new principal partner for the Benelux region.
Heidelberg Materials delivers lower carbon road improvement scheme in Cumbria
Heidelberg Materials UK has worked with Westmorland and Furness Council to improve a 1.5-mile stretch of the A689 in Cumbria.
Holland & Barrett forges three-year expanded partnership with Road Truck Services
Fulfilment of Holland & Barrett’s Irish online orders will move from the UK to Ireland next month through an expanded three-year partnership with Irish logistics firm Road Truck Services (RTS), building on an eight-year relationship spanning import, customs, warehousing and distribution.
Telford Transport Solutions sold for £320,000 and rebranded Lloyd Baker Logistics
Telford Transport Solutions has been sold for £320,000 to Lloyd Baker Leather, part of the Lloyd Baker Group, in a pre-pack deal which keeps the core management team at the helm and sees the company rebadged as Lloyd Baker Logistics.
Connected fleet technology helps Albion slash fleet claim costs by 74%
Albion Fine Foods has boosted its cold chain visibility and cut claim costs using Webfleet, Bridgestone’s advanced fleet management solution, alongside Prolius’ AI fleet management software, the company revealed this week.
Pallet-Track owner northstarr acquires UPN to create largest UK pallet network
Technology-led logistics specialist northstarr Group has acquired United Pallet Network (UK), creating the UK’s largest national pallet network.
DPD pledges 24,000 mentoring sessions amid youth employment crisis
Parcel delivery giant DPD UK has launched a mentoring programme delivering 24,000 mentoring sessions in its first year to 16- to 25-year-olds across the UK.
Strike averted as XPO boosts pay for Arla HGV drivers and warehouse workers
Around 500 Hatfield HGV drivers and warehouse workers on XPO’s Arla contract have won a “much-improved” pay offer after balloting in favour of strike action, union Unite announced today (26 October).
Administration watch
Lincolnshire port haulier failed after customer pulled plug
A successful transport company with an operating centre in Immingham collapsed after losing 80% of its business in a single hit when a customer chose sea freight services over road haulage, according to its administrator.
Clugston Distribution files notice of intention to appoint administrator
Clugston Distribution Services has filed papers in court notifying its intention to appoint an administrator.
Iconic Scottish haulier James S Hislop closes its doors
The Scottish Borders-based haulier James S Hislop (Haulage Contractors) has ceased trading after 38 years in business.
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Industry news
Scania profits up in Q3 but electric truck demand remains sluggish
Scania delivered a “resilient” performance in the third quarter, with profits up compared to Q3 2025, but market uptake of its electric trucks continued at a glacial pace, the manufacturer revealed this week.
Government and industry leaders set to take centre stage in RTX Scotland Knowledge Zone
Scotland’s transport policymakers and industry experts come together at RTX Scotland to discuss the future of road transport.
Industry welcomes reports that Healey’s Budget will lock in fuel duty freeze
Media reports that the Chancellor John Healey will continue the freeze on fuel duty in the Budget tomorrow (28 October) are raising hopes in the logistics industry.
Logistics ‘doubles your money’, industry tells Chancellor ahead of Budget
Every £1 of economic activity directly generated by the logistics sector more than doubles its value providing another £1.04 across the wider economy, according to new research from business group Logistics UK.
HGV people smuggling network dismantled by NCA as final members convicted
HGV drivers are being warned against being recruited by people smuggling gangs after five men involved in hiding people in lorries to transport them to France were found guilty of people smuggling.
CIHT urges government to unlock up to £2.2bn through long-term highways funding
The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) is calling on the government to move to long-term funding for local highway maintenance, arguing that a five-year funding model could unlock up to £2.2 billion in efficiency savings for reinvestment in the local road network.
‘Certainty, not subsidies’: Aegis chief calls on Chancellor to back electric truck transition
Aegis Energy is investing in the infrastructure it believes will underpin the decarbonisation of road freight, but CEO Michael Shaw says the industry needs long-term policy certainty, support for electric truck residual values and clarity over future grants if the transition is to gather pace
Give operators 15p Fuel Duty rebate to prevent cash-flow crisis, RHA tells government
The RHA has launched a major campaign push ahead of the upcoming Budget, warning MPs that escalating fuel costs are severely squeezing operator margins, locking up working capital, and threatening the viability of essential transport contracts.
Police promise crackdown on HGV thieves hunting ‘rich pickings’
Efforts to tackle HGV crime at known hot spots in Yorkshire are ramping up in the run-up to Christmas, with police acknowledging it was a time of heightened risk.
Transaid celebrates two decades of partnership with Zambia training centre
Transaid Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, together with over 100 transport and logistics development representatives gathered in London this week, as the charity celebrated 20 years of partnership with Zambia’s Industrial Training Centre (ITC).
Interviews
‘Certainty, not subsidies’: Aegis chief calls on Chancellor to back electric truck transition
Aegis Energy is investing in the infrastructure it believes will underpin the decarbonisation of road freight, but CEO Michael Shaw says the industry needs long-term policy certainty, support for electric truck residual values and clarity over future grants if the transition is to gather pace
Fagan & Whalley: We learnt the hard way on Newport
The acquisition of Alan R Jones & Sons proved a painful lesson for Fagan & Whalley, but joint MD Sam Fagan says the South Wales deal has delivered the platform the family haulier wanted as it looks to build its network and navigate a changing market
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do”: NX sets out UK growth ambition
NX Group UK and Ireland MD Steve Williams reveals plans to double the operation to £200m revenue and 600 staff within five years
BIFA chief on freight crime, Brexit borders and sector collaboration
From sophisticated cargo fraud and post-Brexit ENS requirements to record training uptake and long-term port investment, BIFA director general Steve Parker sets out the pressures and opportunities shaping UK freight forwarding — and why working together remains the sector’s strongest asset.
“AI will disrupt haulage and create a new breed of operator…”
Microlise chief technology officer Dean Garvey-North warns that the biggest threat to established hauliers could come from new businesses built around artificial intelligence from day one
Inside Browns: How the £24m haulier is building a smarter business
From AI-powered customer service and a bespoke transport management system to a waiting list of drivers, Browns Distribution is using better data to sharpen its operation and support continued growth
northstarr: How Stuart Godman is charting a new course for logistics
After transforming the fortunes of the Pallet-Track network, chief executive Stuart Godman has launched a new logistics group bringing together transport, warehousing, and technology. He tells Tim Wallace why he believes the future lies in connecting specialist businesses rather than simply building bigger operators
Palletline 2.0: managing an evolution
Carl Moore talks to Steve Hobson about growth, technology and the future of the UK’s leading pallet network
Opinion
Fragmented AI: why transport and logistics must take security seriously
Traditionally, the transportation industry has taken a cautious approach to addressing business challenges and adopting new technologies. Because assets are expensive, margins are consistently thin and mistakes can have massive real-world consequences, fleets simply cannot afford to be early adopters of unproven solutions.
When spare HGV capacity is actually worth filling
Accepting a backload can look like an easy commercial win, but mileage, waiting time and repositioning can erode its value fast. Dumitru Martînov of Houlvek sets out a practical framework for smaller fleets and owner-drivers to assess whether an additional load genuinely stacks up.
Why the AI tools your office buys quietly die
Plenty has been written about the big implementation that disappoints. The system goes in, the project is signed off, and the operation takes a year to catch up with it. That is a real problem and it deserves the attention.
Late payment is an unsecured loan your biggest customer takes without asking
The Commercial Payments Bill addresses a real problem, but it will not help your cashflow this quarter. Harvey Dhillon, ACMA CGMA, explains what the legislation actually proposes, why haulage is structurally exposed, and which operational disciplines deliver results now — before Parliament acts.
Contracts
Hutchinson Transport wins second distribution deal with Univar
Hutchinson Transport has landed another UK distribution contract with Univar Solutions after impressing the chemicals distributor with its performance on an existing agreement.
DHL Supply Chain takes over ProCook logistics contract
DHL Supply Chain has secured a contract to manage ProCook’s retail and e-commerce logistics operations as the kitchenware retailer looks to support further growth.
Contract expansion for Evri with fulfilment partner
Evri has signed a new two-year contract with 3PL and e-commerce fulfilment specialist Haul&Store.
DX wins extended Viking deal after service gains
DX and Viking UK have expanded their partnership with a multi-year contract that sees the logistics firm take responsibility for all next-day deliveries for the workplace supplies distributor.
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