BIFA director general Steve Parker on freight crime, border challenges, infrastructure investment and why sector collaboration matters more than ever

The logistics industry continues to face a complex mix of challenges, from geopolitical disruption and freight crime to regulatory changes and skills development. Sitting at the centre of many of these conversations is Steve Parker, director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), which represents around 1,700 freight forwarding and logistics companies operating across every mode of freight transport.

Motor Transport: For readers who may not be familiar with BIFA, tell us a little about the organisation and the members you represent.

Steve Parker: BIFA’s 1,700 members range from some of the biggest names in logistics, such as DHL, K+N and UPS, right through to sole traders and very small businesses. In fact, a significant proportion of our membership consists of companies employing fewer than 10 people.

That demonstrates something people sometimes forget about our industry. Behind the major brands there is a huge number of smaller businesses quietly moving freight around the world, handling customs formalities, arranging transport and keeping supply chains functioning. Many of them are highly specialised operations, but they are absolutely critical to international trade.

Our members are moving freight by road, sea, air and rail, across borders and into markets all over the world. The scale and variety of activity across the sector is enormous.

Motor Transport: What are the biggest issues affecting your members right now?

Steve Parker: One of the major concerns at present is the ongoing instability in the Middle East. It isn’t necessarily a road haulage issue directly, but it has a significant impact on global freight flows. We are seeing containers ending up in unexpected locations, vessels being rerouted and supply chains disrupted.

When cargo is delayed or diverted, costs quickly build up. Containers sitting in ports generate storage costs, schedules are disrupted and inevitably there are disputes about who should bear those costs. The uncertainty creates a knock-on effect throughout the supply chain.

Alongside those external pressures, BIFA remains heavily focused on education and training. We genuinely believe better-trained staff make businesses stronger, more professional and more resilient. That is why we’ve invested heavily in our online training offer, which has proved extremely popular with members. Something like 13,000 course completions have been recorded over the last year to 18 months, which is a tremendous result and demonstrates the appetite for learning within the industry.

Motor Transport: BIFA works closely with road transport organisations. How important is that collaboration?

Steve Parker: It is hugely important. We are part of the Alliance of Logistics Trade Associations, which brings together around a dozen organisations representing different parts of the freight and logistics sector, including the Road Haulage Association, Logistics UK and others.

The reality is that many of our challenges are shared. Whether you’re a freight forwarder, a haulier, a warehouse operator or an air cargo specialist, you’re often dealing with the same regulatory pressures, infrastructure issues and cost challenges.

Working collectively means we can present a stronger voice to government. We are far more effective when we engage as a sector rather than as a collection of individual organisations. For example, we worked alongside the RHA on concerns around road freight pricing and supported efforts to secure a delay to fuel duty increases.

The objective is always to understand how rising costs affect businesses and to influence policy in ways that help companies remain competitive and sustainable.

Motor Transport: Freight crime remains high on the agenda. How serious is the situation?

Steve Parker: It is a major issue, and unfortunately it’s becoming worse. Freight crime has evolved well beyond traditional cargo theft. We’re now seeing increasingly sophisticated fraud where criminals take over dormant company identities, pose as legitimate operators and collect goods they have no intention of delivering. BIFA - full

The good news is that awareness is improving. We’ve used our communications channels, including BIFA TV, to highlight these scams and explain what members should look out for. Increasingly, members are contacting us to say they spotted something suspicious because of information we shared and decided not to proceed with business that turned out to be fraudulent.

Those are genuine success stories. Every fraudulent shipment prevented is a win for the industry.

At the same time, we continue to work closely with organisations such as NaVCIS and other partners involved in tackling freight crime. We help distribute intelligence and alerts to members, sharing information about emerging threats so businesses can take preventative action.

We also support initiatives aimed at improving driver safety and welfare. Secure truck parking remains an important issue. Drivers need safe places where they can rest overnight without worrying about theft or criminal activity. We have actively promoted awareness of secure parking facilities and highlighted the role they play in reducing freight crime.

Motor Transport: Border formalities remain a challenge. What are your members telling you?

Steve Parker: A great deal of attention is currently focused on the safety and security declaration requirements. Since 31 January 2025, any goods imported from the EU to Great Britain must be covered by a safety and security declaration (also known as entry summary declarations or ENS).

These processes are creating challenges not only for freight forwarders but also for the many thousands of transport operators across Europe who move goods into the UK.

One area where BIFA has been particularly active is supporting the development of training materials to help drivers and operators understand what’s required. We’re working with Border Force on guidance to improve awareness and compliance not just among freight forwarders but also for the thousands of drivers crossing into the UK every day.

I do have some sympathy for drivers. If you’re an international truck driver, your primary job is to drive and deliver freight safely. Increasingly, however, drivers are expected to understand complex regulatory processes and documentation requirements. That adds pressure and complexity to an already demanding role.

Motor Transport: Who is responsible for the difficulties surrounding these systems?

Steve Parker: It’s a complicated question. I should say that we have a positive working relationship with Border Force, but one challenge has been the introduction of systems that in some cases appear to require data that businesses do not readily hold electronically. That creates manual processing and inevitably increases the risk of errors.

There have also been situations where technical requirements changed during implementation, forcing software providers and operators to make further amendments to their systems. Every change involves cost, testing and delay.

Ultimately, though, many of these requirements stem from the UK’s departure from the European Union. These are, in many respects, the practical consequences of Brexit. BIFA supports efforts to improve co-operation with the EU and would like to see discussions around simplifying safety and security processes where possible.

Motor Transport: Has Brexit fundamentally altered trading patterns?

Steve Parker: Not to the extent some predicted. There was a lot of discussion around near-shoring and supply chains moving closer to their destination markets. We have seen examples of that, but I wouldn’t describe the change as dramatic.

Where we may see more substantial shifts is around low-value imports and e-commerce. As regulations evolve and duties change, some large online retailers could decide that establishing UK-based distribution centres makes more sense than shipping individual consignments directly to consumers.

If that happens, freight flows could change significantly. More goods might arrive in bulk into distribution centres before being delivered domestically. It’s an area we are watching closely because it could have important implications for logistics networks and transport demand.

Motor Transport: What do you make of the investment taking place in UK ports and logistics infrastructure?

Steve Parker: Everywhere I go, I see investment. Ports are investing, airports are investing and major logistics businesses are investing. Felixstowe, London Gateway, Southampton, Heathrow, Gatwick and Liverpool are all developing capacity, technology or facilities.

For me, that’s a strong vote of confidence in the future. These are long-term investments. Ports and terminals are not built with a two-year horizon; they’re built with decades in mind. When businesses commit that level of capital, they are making a statement that they see long-term opportunity in the UK market.

That growth in capacity should ultimately benefit our members because more infrastructure creates more opportunities to move goods efficiently and support trade. It’s particularly encouraging because much of the funding comes from private sector investment rather than public money.

Motor Transport: Despite changes in freight flows, do cross-Channel road movements remain significant?

Steve Parker: Absolutely. There is sometimes a perception that international road freight has declined dramatically, but the volumes moving through gateways such as Dover remain enormous. Thousands of trucks still cross the border every day.

When you visit Dover and see the scale of activity, it becomes clear that cross-Channel freight remains fundamental to UK trade. Importantly, there are continuing plans to invest in infrastructure and expand capacity, which suggests confidence that those flows will remain strong in the future.

Motor Transport: Are there other regulatory concerns affecting operators?

Steve Parker: One issue affecting some specialist operators is the EU’s rule that UK drivers can only spend 90 out of every 180 days in the EU. For companies involved in activities such as touring productions, exhibitions or specialist events logistics, this can create real difficulties.

In many cases, the driver is highly specialised and understands not only the route but the cargo itself. They know how equipment must be loaded, secured and handled. Replacing that individual isn’t always straightforward. Yet under current arrangements, some businesses face operational constraints because of time limits within the EU.

Finding workable solutions for those specialist sectors remains important.

Motor Transport: What is your assessment of Northern Ireland arrangements?

Steve Parker: The fundamental issue isn’t necessarily that the system doesn’t work; it’s that the system is complicated. There are multiple categories of goods, different movements and various facilitation arrangements designed to balance the requirements of different markets.

All of that complexity increases the risk of mistakes and misunderstandings. Businesses need to understand exactly where goods are going, how they’ll be used and which rules apply. That’s not always straightforward.

The positive side is that some freight specialists in Northern Ireland have become extremely knowledgeable and are providing valuable support to businesses elsewhere in the UK. BIFA continues to engage with stakeholders and policymakers to identify ways of simplifying processes and improving understanding.

Motor Transport: Skills and professional standards are major industry concerns. What role is BIFA playing?

Steve Parker: Training has always been important for BIFA, but we’ve worked hard to make it more accessible. We consulted extensively with members and found two key barriers: obtaining training budgets internally and releasing staff for extended periods away from work.

As a result, we incorporated the cost of our bite-sized training programme into the membership fees and delivered the courses online in manageable modules of around 30 minutes. Members told us that format worked with the realities of modern working patterns and particularly appealed to younger employees.

The uptake has exceeded expectations, with approximately 13,000 course completions recorded. That demonstrates there is a genuine appetite within the industry to improve knowledge and develop skills when training is made accessible.

Beyond our own programmes, we were heavily involved in the development of the Voluntary Standard for Customs Intermediaries and we’re currently working with HMRC on the customs broker registration scheme. The goal is to improve professionalism, raise standards and give businesses confidence that they are operating to recognised benchmarks.

For me, investing in people is one of the best things our industry can do. Better training leads to better decisions, greater compliance, improved customer service and stronger businesses overall.

Motor Transport: As Parker sees it, logistics is entering a period where collaboration, technology and education will be just as important as vehicles and infrastructure. Whether confronting freight crime, adapting to post-Brexit processes or preparing the next generation of logistics professionals, the sector’s success will depend on its ability to work together and continually raise standards.