All Opinion articles
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MT ArticleThe 30% efficiency debt: Can precision planning close the gap for Britain’s 1.58%-margin hauliers?
UK hauliers have long been battling a perfect storm of challenges, from an ageing driver workforce and inefficient road networks to persistently rising fuel and non-fuel costs, most recently exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East. Now, the sector faces an additional and increasingly pressing issue: razor-thin profit margins. ...
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MT Article3PLs can be supply chain heroes – if relationships are right
For many manufacturers and retailers, the past few years have changed what they expect from their logistics partners. Cost will always matter, but as supply chains come under sustained pressure from geopolitical instability, labour shortages, rising operating costs, climate risk and changing customer expectations, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) are increasingly ...
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MT ArticleSupporting the next generation of HGV drivers
With the industry needing 200,000 new HGV drivers over the next five years, RHA Insurance Services is working with specialist insurers to help operators secure cover for younger and inexperienced drivers, offering an alternative to restrictive mainstream policies.
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MT Article
Baxter Freight launches 28 graduate roles to help tackle NEET crisis
Logistics operator Baxter Freight has created 28 graduate roles with structured training and mentoring as part of its response to the UK’s growing NEET challenge. The firm says 37% of recent hires are under 24, with five graduate recruits already progressing to leadership positions.
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FCZ ArticleAn operator knows in a week. The money never asks
When KleanDrive entered administration, it had working technology and real customers. What it didn’t have was investment backing that valued operator judgement over financial hunches. One fleet operator explains why firms with proven kit keep failing, and why the industry keeps losing suppliers it claims to want.
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MT ArticleInsurance two-year rule blocks 87% of HGV jobs for newly qualified drivers
Investigation reveals no major fleet insurer can provide actuarial evidence for the two-year licence restriction that excludes newly qualified HGV drivers from most operator policies, despite commercial fleet premiums rising 8% in a year when personal motor insurance fell 10%.
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MT ArticleHGV driver market still broken despite reform efforts
A joint industry report reveals the UK HGV driver market remains structurally flawed, with insurance barriers and poor data visibility preventing newly qualified drivers from entering the workforce—even as demand shows early signs of recovery.
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MT ArticleAI search reshapes online visibility beyond SEO budgets
AI-powered search is disrupting two decades of SEO dominance, allowing specialist operators with genuine expertise to compete for visibility against national competitors—regardless of marketing budget. But businesses that fail to adapt may lose enquiries without knowing why.
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MT ArticleRHA demands fuel duty rebate for commercial vehicle operators
The Road Haulage Association is demanding urgent government intervention with an Essential User Rebate scheme for commercial vehicles, as operators struggle with fuel costs that have risen over 40% due to global events.
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MT ArticleTrade without borders – why drivers need a Schengen exemption
€505 billion. That’s the value of UK–EU goods trade – goods moved across borders by road freight.
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MT ArticleCustody discipline: the low-cost fix for vehicle transport disputes
With HGV driver numbers down 1.9% and schedules running tight, operators face growing dispute risk. David Heeney explains why custody discipline—not just careful driving—is now a core commercial control.
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MT ArticleThe clock in the cab: Are we managing fatigue — or managing behaviour?
A transport operator with nearly 40 years’ experience argues the Working Time Directive may create behavioural pressure for HGV drivers without measurable safety gains beyond existing drivers’ hours regulations.
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MT ArticleWe’ll need more than derisory grants to electrify our 26-tonne-plus HGV fleet
For UK operators, the decision to transition from their existing internal combustion engine (ICE) fleets to electric alternatives is shrouded in uncertainty. A good example of this is the derisory £18m grant allocated to operators who are considering the procurement of electric trucks.
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MT ArticleEurope’s used truck market has come of age - what it means for UK hauliers
As UK hauliers face rising costs, persistent driver shortages and new CO₂-linked road charges for European operations from 2026, 2025 marked a turning point in Europe’s used truck market — offering British fleets a clearer, more strategic path to renewal
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MT ArticleCustoms changes demand urgent digital shift for freight operators
International freight businesses must urgently modernise customs systems to meet incoming UK and EU regulatory changes, including ICS2 Phase 3, France’s ELO requirements, and enhanced HMRC transparency measures, warns Derry Bros customs manager Sarah-Louise Murray.
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MT ArticleConnectivity: The key to driverless HGVs
As the UK pushes towards connected and autonomous freight, it is the resilience of our data networks, not just the vehicles themselves, that will determine success.
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MT ArticleThe real reasons that HGV drivers are quitting the job
The latest issue of Motor Transport carries an in-depth analysis of the HGV driver shortage but here one anonymous driver gives a different perspective on why the transport industry is finding it so hard to hang on to younger drivers.
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MT ArticleTime’s up: Autumn Budget must confront Britain’s highways crisis
Econ Engineering is a business that plays a unique role in people’s daily lives. Nine out of 10 of the gritters keeping the UK’s roads moving are manufactured by us and we work with the majority of local authorities across the UK. What this position gives us is a unique ...
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MT ArticleTechnology and experience: A shared responsibility in preventing bridge strikes
The recent Motor Transport article exploring how technology overload might contribute to bridge strikes struck a chord with me. With 1,532 vehicles hitting bridges across the UK in the 2023/24 financial year, it’s no surprise that this remains one of the critical issues for the transport industry.
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MT ArticleLogistics must seize the devolution opportunity
While representing Logistics UK at recent political party conferences, it became clear to me that the English devolution agenda is picking up speed — presenting a powerful opportunity for the logistics sector, but only if we grasp it. Regional mayors and their combined authorities are becoming ever ...