The MT Top 100 explained

The rankings were finalised on 25th November 2020. The data was compiled from audited accounts filed at Companies House during the 12 months since the last Top 100 was compiled in October 2019, unless otherwise stated.

The table lists the company in regard to its official registered name at Companies House, which is not always the same at the company’s trading name. MT has compiled the tables using the turnover and pre-tax profit figures generated solely or primarily from UK road transport and warehousing activities of the businesses concerned unless otherwise stated below. Figures shown for employees are predominantly for those employed solely or primarily in the UK.

Abbey Logistics: 2018 figures have been restated.

Acumen Logistics did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Advanced Supply Chain: Figures reflect the performance of Advanced Supply Chain Group, excluding the results of its Advanced Forwarding international freight forwarding business.

Agro Merchants Whitchurch (formerly Grocontinental): Pre-tax profit for 2018 includes £34.8m exceptional item for sale of a property.

BCA Automotive comprises Walon, Paragon Automotive Logistics and Sensible Automotive, which are all subsidiaries of BCA Marketplace.

Buffaload Logistics: did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

CM Downton: name has changed to ECVL Downton.

Culina Group: Comprises Culina Logistics, Great Bear Distribution, Integrated Packing Services, Morgan McLernon, CML F&L (Telford) and Robsons of Spalding. Culina took a 75% stake in Warrens Warehousing & Distribution in March 2018 - this is included separately. None of these companies filed 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures. Culina completed the take-over of Fowler Welch in June 2020 - this is included separately.

Currie International Holdings: has extended its accounting period to 30th June 2020. Its 2018 figures are the latest available.

DHL: Comprises DHL Supply Chain, DHL Parcel UK, Tradeteam, DHL International UK, and Exel UK. The company is consolidating logistics contracts into DHL Supply Chain as they are renewed from Exel and Tradeteam. Employees in DHL Supply Chain, Tradeteam and Exel are employed through DHL Services. DHL’s freight forwarding business is excluded from our figures.

DPD: Comprises DPDgroup UK and DPDLocal, formerly Interlink Express. The profit figure has been adjusted to reflect a £25m dividend paid by DPDlocal to DPDgroup.

Europa Worldwide Group did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

FedEx: Comprises FedEx UK and FedEx UK Transport Ltd – the new name for TNT UK.

Freightroute did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

GBA Services did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Geodis UK did not file 2019 or 2018 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2017 figures.

Gist did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Gregory Distribution has consolidated the results for AAR Craib into its accounts for 2019, consequently there is no separate listing for Craib.

Hargreaves Services has been taken out of the listing as the company no longer gives separate figures for transport operations. It operates a fleet of some 100 trucks in the waste recycling and construction markets. Figures are now included in the figures for the Distribution & Services division whose activities also include mining operations, materials handling and contracting services.

Harry Yearsley: The business has been split into four units that report separately and rebranded with the Lineage name. They are: Lineage UK Transport, Lineage UK Warehousing, Harry Yearsley Food, Lineage UK admin. Only the Lineage UK Transport business qualifies for the MT100. It’s figures are for a 9-month period only and there are no comparative figures for it.

Hoyer Petrolog UK did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Kinaxia: The main entry is for Kinaxia Ltd. We have included a separate table to show the figures for the companies that it has acquired to make up the group. This gives an indication the size of the group once the results for the latest acquisitions are fully taken into account. Kinaxia AKW Birmingham has been removed as it is now classed as a small company and does not file a profit and loss account.

Knights of Old: In February, the group changed its name to KNP Logistics Group Ltd.

Kuehne+Nagel did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures. K+N’s turnover is derived from its contract logistics business (as reported by Kuehne + Nagel Ltd) and K+N Drinks Logistics. Turnover from its freight forwarding business is excluded to best reflect the domestic road freight related contributions to the business. However, as K+N does not split the two divisions into legal entities, we were unable to break down pre-tax profit and employee numbers in the same way. Therefore profit and employee figures include the international freight forwarding business.

Lenham Storage: Comprises Lenham Storage and Lenham Storage Southern.

McBurney Holdings: Comprises McBurney Transport and Bondelivery Northern Ireland.

Menzies Distribution did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Moran Logistics: 2018 figures are for the 15 months to 31-12-2018

NFT Distribution: Removed from the Top 100. Specific assets and operations of the business were acquired by EV Cargo Logistics in February 2020.

PCL Transport 24/7: The business was acquired by Arla Foods in March 2020.

Pentalver: Comprises Pentalver Transport and Pentalver Cannock. The company did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Redhead Freight did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

Rhys Davies & Sons: extended accounting period - 18 months to Feb 2019.

Tuffnells: Was sold by Connect Group to Tuffnells Holdings Ltd in April 2020.

Turners (Soham) did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

UPS did not file 2019 accounts with Companies House in time for inclusion in the Top 100 so we have used 2018 figures.

WS Specialist Logistics has extended its accounting period from 31/05/2019 to 30/11/2019. Consequently the latest figures are for 18 months.

XPO Logistics: Comprises XPO Supply Chain, XPO Transport Solutions UK and XPO Bulk UK. We have excludes XPO Global Forwarding and XPO Maintenance UK to best reflect turnover and profit derived from domestic road freight.

Yodel: Comprises Yodel Delivery Network and Arrow XL.