These interactive tables enable you to explore Motor Transport's Top 100 2007.
Click on the tabs at the top of the table to view the different data sets. You can also click on the column headers to sort the table data from highest to lowest (or click again to sort from lowest to highest). If you are viewing on a mobile device some of the columns will be hidden, in order to present the most important information - just click on the + icon against each row to expand the view to show all the data for that row. You can use the search box to quickly find a particular company.
Please refer to the notes to explain the methodology behind each entry.
Largest 100 companies | Growth in turnover | Profit per employee | Return on sales | Growth in profit | Sales per employee | Notes |
Tables show turnover and pre-tax profit figures generated solely or primarily from the UK transport activities of the businesses concerned unless otherwise stated. Figures shown for employees are for those employed solely or primarily in the UK. Those for trucks and other vehicles, trailers and depots relate to the UK. Figures followed by (e) have been estimated.
Alan Firmin’s turnover and profit figures include income from farming and property rental.
Amethyst Group was previously known as CPD Logistics.
Amtrak Express Parcels went into administration in January 2007 and was acquired by Netfold, an off-the-shelf company bought to allow the purchase. The business is trading as Amtrak.
AutoLogic figures show turnover generated by its UK activities. At a group level its turnover was £254.7m in the year to 31 December 2006 (£243.9m 2005) with a pre-tax profit of £3.8m (£7.8m 2005). Number of UK employees is estimated. Group-wide the average monthly number of employees (including directors) was 2,786 in 2006 (2,866 in 2005).
ANC was acquired by FedEx in December 2006 for £120m and is to be rebranded.
Ballyvesey Holdings does not report separately on its transport activities in its annual accounts. The company also operates commercial vehicle dealerships and manufactures trailers. In the year to 30 September 2006 it made a pre-tax loss of £948,000 on a turnover of £251.5m. That compared with a pre-tax profit of £2.53m on a turnover of £253.84m in the previous year.
CEL Group turnover figure does not include turnover generated by the company’s joint ventures with HCD Logistics, HCD Logistics Ipswich, Corstor, and Deben Transport. The last-named company is 41.3% owned by CEL.
Christian Salvesen figures are for its UK food, consumer, and transport activities and exclude Salvesen Foods. Group turnover to 31 March 2007 was £899m (£819.3m 2006) with a profit before tax of £44.1m (£15.6m 2006) on continuing operations.
City Link turnover figure to 31 December 2006 excludes share of franchisees. Owner Rentokil Initial bought Target Express for £210m in 2006. In the year to 30 April 2006 Target Express recorded a turnover of £146.12m (£140.63m 2005) and a pretax loss of £25.64m (loss of £25.58m 2005).
Clipper Group acquired truck dealership Northern Commercials in the year to April 2006 and its activities are included in the group’s turnover and profit figures. The dealership contributed £14.4m to the firm’s turnover in the year concerned.
DFDS Transport purchased Frans Maas in April 2006. The businesses were combined into one company under the DSV banner in September 2006.
E Pawson acquired Mill Transport in March 2007; combined accounts have not yet been produced.
Eddie Stobart merged with Westbury Property Fund in August 2007 to form Stobart Group and thereafter entered the London stock market. The move involved Westbury buying Eddie Stobart from WA Developments (WAD) for £138m and selling £142m of property assets to WAD. At the same time, Westbury bought O’Connor Group for £24m.
Fowler Welch-Coolchain acquired the assets of RF Fielding (Cheshire) in April 2006.
Gist figures to 31 December 2006 cover a 15-month period.
Hargreaves bought Imperial Tankers in September 2007 after acquiring Gilbraith Tankers in May 2006. The group’s total turnover, including its mineral and industrial activities, was £147m in the year to 31 May 2006 excluding its share of joint ventures.
Howard Tenens also has interests in property development and management and the retail and leisure industries. Total group turnover to 30 September 2006 was £51.8m.
John G Russell (Transport) turnover figure to 31 March 2006 excludes a turnover of £5.89m generated by the acquisition of Icetech Freezers.
Kammac’s turnover figure includes revenue generated by its keg and cask manufacturing and repairing division. Its packaging, warehousing, and distribution activities alone generated a £15.64m turnover in the year to 31 December 2006 (£14.22m 2005) and a pre-tax profit of £1.47m (£1.21m 2005).
Kuehne + Nagel’s group accounts do not include separate turnover and profit figures for its UK operation, which had yet to file its annual report for 2006 with Companies House at the time of writing. In 2006 the group recorded a turnover of £7,561m and a gross profit of £2,183m.
Macfarlane Transport went into administration in 2006. It was subsequently acquired by Macfarlane Transport Holdings, a completely separate company run by Stephen and Robert Cooke. In autumn 2006 MTH also bought the assets of Leeds haulier KG Sewell, which was in administration.
Maxi Haulage’s results for 2006 and 2005 have been re-stated to take account of the full implementation of FRS17. This has resulted in the defined benefit pension scheme liability appearing on the balance sheet and the pension charge in the profit and loss account being adjusted to reflect actuarial calculations.
NFT Distribution was acquired from Northern Foods in August 2006 by its management team and Phoenix Equity Partners for £51.2m. Prior to that it had been incorporated as DE FACTO 1369 in May 2006 and its name changed to NFT Distribution Operations in July 2006. The figures shown in the table to 31 March 2007 cover the period from 18 May 2006, the date of incorporation.
Online Group owner Pass J Holdings bought Mike Beer Transport in 2006.
Parcelforce Worldwide owner Royal Mail Holdings made a pre-tax profit of £312m in the year to 26 March 2006 on a turnover of £9,056m.
Pentalver Transport, Pentalver Cannock (formerly Bowmur Haulage) and Roadways Container Logistics are all owned by shipping line Maersk.
Roadferry’s figures to 31 March 2006 cover a 15-month period.
Ryder figures to 31 December 2006 include £16.22m generated by its activities in Continental Europe (£16.05m 2005). Its total fleet includes over 14,000 rental and contract hire vehicles.
Taygroup underwent an £8.75m management buy-out in June 2007.
TDG’s group turnover to 31 December 2006 was £531.3 (£510.5m 2005) with a pre-tax profit of £15.2m (£8.1m 2005). Figures in table show turnover generated by its UK contract logistics and temperature-controlled businesses and its UK and Continental hazardous goods activities.
Thomas Cradley Holdings (TCH) includes Suttons Tankers, Suttons Distribution and Suttons International. £54.94m of
TCH’s total turnover is generated by its UK activities.
TNT sold its logistics arm to American company Apollo Management in 2006 for £1bn. The business now trades as Ceva Logistics and has since acquired Eagle Global Logistics.
Turners (Soham) has acquired bulk powder specialist CRW.
UBC’s UK activities account for approximately one-third of its turnover. They totalled £39.42m in the year to 30 September 2006.
United Freight Distribution went into administration in July 2007 and was acquired by Ramage Distribution.
Welch’s garage operating and crane hire activities contributed £4.41m and £473,000 respectively to its total turnover to 31 December 2006.
WH Bowker’s total turnover to 31 December 2005 was £95.23m, with £83.7m contributed by its vehicle dealerships. Pre-tax profit was £532,370.
Wincanton acquired RDL Holdings and Lane Group in autumn 2006. Figures in table show income generated by its UK activities. Group turnover in the 12 months to 31 March 2007 was £1,933.1m (£1,809.3m 2006) with a pre-tax profit of £32.6m (£31.3m).
Wisbech Roadways’ parent company is Knowles (Transport).