These interactive tables enable you to explore Motor Transport's Top 100 2015.
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 |
The rankings were finalised on 21 October 2015. The data was compiled from audited financial accounts filed at Companies House during the 12 months since the last Top 100 was compiled in October 2013, unless otherwise stated. The tables list the company in regards to its official registered company name at Companies House, which is not always the same as the company’s trading name. MT has compiled the tables using the turnover and pre-tax profit figures generated solely or primarily from the UK road transport activities on the businesses concerned, unless otherwise stated below. Where possible, we have tried to avoid including turnover from non-road and non-transport related business. Figures shown for employees are predominantly for those employed solely or principally in the UK.
* AM Widdowson entered a company voluntary arrangement on 3 July 2015 and continues to trade under the terms accepted. It has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* Bartrums’ results have been calculated by combining the turnover and pre-tax profit of Bartrums Haulage & Storage and Bartrums Road Services, as Bartrum Group results include a contribution from its CV maintenance business, Trumbar Truck Care. It has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* Bibby Supply Chain Services sold its training division System Group to Bridgewater Human Capital on 15 January 2015. Turnover is based on continuing operations.
* Circle Express entered a company voluntary arrangement on 10 May 2012 and continues to trade under the terms accepted.
* Clipper Logistics has filed two sets of annual accounts since it floated on the London Stock Exchange in June 2014. In December 2014 it acquired Servicecare Support Services for £5.7m.
* CM Downton (Haulage Contractors) incorporates its 50% share of turnover in two joint ventures: Avon Distribution (with RT Keedwell) and D&T Logistics (with Howard Tenens). It also includes a contribution from its October 2013 purchase of C&H (Hauliers).
* DHL is continuing to consolidate its business so that DHL Supply Chain is the main trading activity for business in that sector. As a result, contracts formerly reported by Exel UK are being moved as they are renewed. Exel UK reported £147.9m of continuing contracted turnover in the overall figure. Turnover also includes Tradeteam (2014: £131.6m) and DHL International (UK), which trades as DHL Express (2013: £608.8m).
* Eddie Stobart Logistics’ numbers are derived from its parent company Greenwhitestar UK. Greenwhitestar UK owners DouglasBay Capital acquired a 51% stake in the business on 10 April 2014, Greenwhitestar UK provides accounts for the period from 10 April 2014 to 30 November 2014, during which it achieved a turnover of £394.4m and a pre-tax profit of £24.4m. The report notes management estimates for the full financial year of a turnover of £591.5m and a pre-tax profit of £36.6m. We have used these figures to more accurately reflect Stobart’s size in the market but there is some overlap with its previous financial year (which ended 28 February 2014).
* Gefco has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* Great Bear Distribution has restated its results from 2013.
* Gregory Distribution (Holdings) reports are for the 53 week period ending 4 October 2014. It also includes a turnover and pre-tax profit contribution from its joint venture with Hayton Coulthard Transport.
* Hargreaves Transport sold its Imperial Tankers division to Sutton & Sons on 1 September 2014. The figures reported exclude the £7.3m of turnover and £200,000 of operating profit Hargreaves derived from the business prior to the sale. Its employees figure has been derived from removing the 297 employees at imperial Tankers from Hargreaves’ previous average annual employee total of 583.
* Harry Yearsley has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* Kuehne + Nagel comprises Kuehne + Nagel UK (2014: £1.16bn) and Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistics (2014: £199.1m). Traditional K+N has not excluded its considerable freight forwarding activities from its overall turnover, however this year it has broken down turnover only. In 2014 Its International freight forwarding business achieved a turnover of £827m, incorporating air and sea freight, but also its overland freight forwarding business based on its 2011 acquisition of RH Freight. We have included this business in order to make an accurate comparison as to its profitability and number of employees.
* Lenham Storage combines turnover, pre-tax profit and employee numbers from two businesses: Lenham Storage and Lenham Storage (Southern).
* Moran Logistics uses the company Moran Personnel to supply it with the provision of payroll services to the company. Ergo, Moran Personnel employs all staff and processes all payroll transactions, which are then recharged to Moran Logistics via invoices. During the year total purchase transactions to Moran Personnel stood at £3.7m. Moran Personnel does not report an average number of employees for the trading year as it only files abbreviated accounts. In March Arla Foods outsourced its outbound logistics operation in Leeds to Moran Logistics.
* Pass J Holdings combines turnover, pre-tax profit and employee numbers from two businesses: Pass J Holdings (which trades as Online Group) and Mike Beer Transport.
* PCL 24/7 was acquired by Bidvest Group in June 2014. Subsequently it has changed its financial year. Its results base the period 1 October 2013 to 30 June 2014 against the period 1 April 2012 to 30 September 2013.
* Pentalver comprises of Pentalver Transport and Pentalver Cannock.
* Suttons Group comprises of Sutton and Son (St Helens) and Suttons Tankers, the business that was formerly Imperial Tankers and was acquired from Hargreaves Group in September 2014. Turnover also includes £10.5m of discontinued operations, which Suttons sites as a major contract lost to a rival.
* Turners (Soham) covers the period 29 December 2013 to 3 January 2015.
* Royal Mail’s figures are based solely on its UK Parcels, International and Letters business (UKPIL) and exclude the contribution of its European parcels business GLS. UKPIL includes all of its core UK and international parcels and letter delivery businesses run through both the Royal Mail network and Parcelforce Worldwide. We were unable to separate turnover and profit derived from its marketing mail and consulting services and the design and manufacture of stamps.
* Saints Transport has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* The Big Green Parcel Machine trades as Tuffnells Parcel Express. On 19 December 2014 its entire share capital was acquired by The Connect Group.
* WH Malcolm has not updated its results since the Top 100 was published in 2014.
* Wincanton’s turnover excludes contributions from its £75.2m Pullman Fleet Services and £22.4m Records Management divisions. All vehicle maintenance business figures have been excluded across the entirety of the Top 100, but with Pullman not filing a profit and loss account we are unable to pull out its contribution from Wincanton’s profitability.
* XPO Logistics’ figures have been generated by combining the turnover and pre-tax profit from: Norbert Dentressangle Logistics; Norbert Dentressangle Tankers and Norbert Dentressangle Transport Services. They exclude contributions from its freight forwarding activities (ND Overseas) and its maintenance business (ND Maintenance UK).
* Yusen Logistics turnover excludes contributions from its air freight and ocean freight divisions. Where possible, we have attempted to remove all air and ocean freight revenues across the entirety of the Top 100. We are unable to note the pre-tax profit contributions of these divisions.