Prestons of Potto returned to profit in 2025 despite a small fall in turnover, with the North Yorkshire-based haulier reporting an improved financial performance and continued investment in its fleet.
Richard Preston & Son, which trades as Prestons of Potto, recorded a pre-tax profit of £19,126 for the year ended 31 December 2025, compared with a pre-tax loss of £148,359 in 2024. Turnover fell marginally from £15.6m in 2024 to £15.4m in 2025.
The company, which holds operating licences for 200 trucks and 465 trailers, is headquartered in Teesside and has satellite depots in Stockton-on-Tees, West Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.
It provides haulage and warehousing services and specialises in steel transport, heavy haulage and high-volume pallet transport.
In its strategic report to it annual results, the family-led firm said: “The company is long established, has a strong balance sheet and the directors are confident in retaining its high position in the market.”
The report said the directors continue to “closely monitor asset and employee productivity and are implementing strategic measures to drive improvements in the company’s overall performance during the current financial year.”
The business also made” significant” capital investments in its fleet during the year to increase operational capacity, improve service delivery and support long-term growth.
The average number of employees remained broadly stable during the year. Prestons of Potto employed 141 people on average in 2025, compared with 142 in 2024.
Drivers and maintenance staff increased from 120 to 121, while the number of office and management employees fell from 22 to 20.
The report identified the wider economy, competition, fuel prices, credit, cash flow and liquidity, and the availability of skilled employees as the principal risks facing the business.
To offset these risks the company has taken a number of measures. It said fuel price fluctuations are managed through variable fuel surcharges, while customers are subject to credit vetting procedures and receivables are monitored on an ongoing basis.
Cash flow and liquidity are also regularly monitored against forecasts and available finance facilities to ensure sufficient headroom.
The company maintains a mixture of long-term and short-term committed facilities to provide funds for operations and planned investment, and said it continued to be well supported by its bankers.
The business also continues to provide training for employees to help address the industry’s ongoing skills shortage.
Looking to the future, the report said that the business had made progress in the last twelve months, adding that the prospects for the current financial year are good and that the business would continue to invest in its fleet to maintain its high fleet standards.
