Growers find growth despite challenges

Analysis of the figures shows some significant variations across the sectors. Forest products group A W Jenkinson has seen an 11.8% increase in the number of trucks and trailers in its fleet compared to last year.

On the other hand, fleets in the agricultural sector have mainly been stable, with a few showing a decline over the past year.

In the dairy sector, two major operators, Muller and Arla, have both made significant additions to their fleets while others have either remained stable or seen a decline.

Overall these sectors have grown faster than the transport market as a whole. Looking at all fleets over 50 vehicles, there was a 0.5% increase in the number of trucks and a 0.6% increase in the number of trailers over the past year.

The agriculture, forestry and dairy sectors are continuing to face significant challenges. A government report earlier this year highlighted the impact of volatility, extreme weather and rising input costs. The report, Farming Profitability Review 2025, noted the UK agri-food supply chain is worth £150bn. However, it said the UK now produces only 65% of the food purchased domestically - down from 78% in 1984.

Since the report was published, the UK has faced a series of heatwaves combined with low rainfall that have left farmers struggling to keep crops alive and livestock protected. The full effect of the 2026 heatwaves is yet to be fully calculated, but, by way of comparison, it is estimated that farmers in England lost more than £800m in 2025 as a result of the hot, dry spring and summer.

MT looked at 22 major operators in the agriculture and forestry sectors for which we have comparable data, along with eight operators in the dairy sector. We do not include industry giants such as GXO and DHL as it is not possible to separate out vehicles dedicated to these sectors.

Fleet Data is Motor Transport’s listing of the UK’s largest third party and own account HGV fleet operators. Based on the weekly O-licence updates issued by the Office of the Traffic Commissioners, Fleet Data enables subscribers quickly to identify operators in each of the eight traffic areas based on the number of vehicles on the licence and type of operator.

Operators ranked by number of trucks