The Transport Committee is calling on the freight industry to contribute to its inquiry into the potential impact of Brexit on the sector.

Launching the inquiry this week, the Transport Committee chair, Lilian Greenwood MP, said: “While the agreement of a transitional period to December 2020 is welcome, there remains a great deal of uncertainty for UK freight operators and their customers.

"The implications of Brexit will vary across freight modes and types of freight.  We want the sector to tell us what’s worrying them. What is required to make this work?

“We want to cast our evidence-gathering net as wide as possible then focus our attention on areas where government and industry actions will be most pressing, to prepare for both the challenges and opportunities of Brexit.”

The Committee is calling for written evidence on the following:

  • The scale and nature of the challenges and opportunities Brexit will present to UK freight companies and their customers
  • the adequacy of steps being taken by freight companies, their representative bodies, their customers and the Government in preparation for the challenges and opportunities of Brexit
  • mode and/or sector-specific requirements for additional Government funding, or other changes to Government funding plans, particularly in relation to transport infrastructure, to support the needs of freight
  • any new arrangements needed for the licensing, regulation and training of operators and workers in the freight sector after Brexit (including the adequacy of measures set out in the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill)

The closing date for written submissions via the inquiry page on the Committee’s website is Friday 8 June.

The inquiry was launched in the same week the FTA warned that a customs union alone would not prevent border checks.

James Hookham, deputy chief executive, said: “Leaving the Customs Union is only one part of the story, and a customs union on its own would not remove the need for checks at the borders or provide frictionless trade for businesses.”

He added that whilst the transition period had been welcomed by the logistics industry he warned that it gave the industry “an incredibly short amount of time” to prepare for Brexit.

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