Fleet growth in the construction and builders merchants sector remains patchy, with just 20 of the top 50 operators increasing truck numbers over the past year, according to the latest MT Fleet Data.
Well-known names expanding their fleets include Clancy Docwra, Kier Group, Holcim, MKM Building Supplies and FM Conway. However, an equal number of operators reported no change, underlining the sector’s uneven performance.
Across the top 50 fleets – which together account for almost 23,000 trucks and more than 6,000 trailers – overall vehicle numbers have dipped slightly. Truck fleets fell by 0.7%, while trailer numbers saw a much sharper decline of 12.5%.
The slowdown reflects continued stagnation in construction activity, although there are signs the market may be turning. A PwC report published last September said: “Despite ongoing challenges across the housebuilding and commercial segments, our forecast anticipates the UK construction sector continuing to grow in 2025, with real output rising by around 1%, before further acceleration in 2026–27.”
Several major operators have reduced fleet size over the period, including Cemex UK Cement, Amey and Heidelberg Materials UK.
MT Fleet Data also highlights the sector’s high level of concentration. The top 10 operators alone run more than 15,000 trucks and 2,500 trailers between them.
However, these larger fleets have led the overall decline. Collectively, the top 10 cut truck numbers by 2.9% and trailers by 15%, pointing to ongoing rationalisation among the biggest players.
MT Fleet Data tracks the UK’s largest third-party and own-account HGV operators, using weekly O-licence updates from the Office of the Traffic Commissioners. The dataset enables analysis of fleet size by operator type and traffic area.
Top 10 construction & builders merchants fleets
| Rank | Company | Trucks Apr-26 | Trucks Apr-25 | Change | Trailers Apr-26 | Trailers Apr-25 | Change |
| 1 | Travis Perkins | 3,829 | 3,829 | 0.0% | 310 | 310 | 0.0% |
| 2 | Stark Building Materials UK | 3,686 | 3,686 | 0.0% | 193 | 193 | 0.0% |
| 3 | Huws Gray | 1,859 | 1,878 | -1.0% | 175 | 175 | 0.0% |
| 4 | Cemex UK Cement | 1,020 | 1,127 | -9.5% | 495 | 512 | -3.3% |
| 5 | SIG | 952 | 952 | 0.0% | 80 | 80 | 0.0% |
| 6 | Amey | 879 | 899 | -2.2% | 8 | 11 | -27.3% |
| 7 | Breedon Trading | 831 | 823 | 1.0% | 261 | 255 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Heidelberg Materials UK | 823 | 1,176 | -30.0% | 154 | 608 | -74.7% |
| 9 | A W Jenkinson Transport | 780 | 780 | 0.0% | 780 | 780 | 0.0% |
| 10 | MKM Building Supplies | 761 | 724 | 5.1% | 97 | 81 | 19.8% |
