Road Haulage · United Kingdom
UK Road Haulage Businesses Down 25%[3] Since 2019
The number of UK road freight businesses fell from 58,818[3] in 2019 to 43,919[3] in 2024. The industry's turnover rose from £32.5bn[3] to £37.2bn[3] over the same period, not adjusted for inflation, but fell 6.4%[3] in 2024 compared with 2023.
Turnover is not adjusted for inflation. Turnover per business is total turnover divided by the number of businesses.
Turnover and Number of Businesses Since 2019
| Year | Total turnover | Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £32,541 million[3] | 58,818[3] |
| 2020 | £30,614 million[3] | 61,304[3] |
| 2021 | £32,784 million[3] | 58,262[3] |
| 2022 | £37,883 million[3] | 55,732[3] |
| 2023 | £39,739 million[3] | 46,268[3] |
| 2024 | £37,194 million[3] | 43,919[3] |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Business Survey (UK SIC 49.41), 2019 to 2024.Download the data
How to Read These Figures
- Businesses are enterprises whose main activity is this industry, as counted by the ONS Annual Business Survey. A company with many sites counts once.
- Turnover is the industry's total sales, including exports and excluding VAT, in cash terms. It is not adjusted for inflation, so part of any rise reflects higher prices.
- 2019 is the starting point because it is the last year before the pandemic; 2020 would flatter most growth rates.
- Every number links to the exact table and cell it comes from. Percentage changes and turnover per business are calculated directly from those cited figures.
Sources
- Eurostat, Euro/ECU exchange rates - annual data. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Eurostat reuse policy (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU), attribution required
- Eurostat, Enterprises by detailed NACE Rev. 2 activity and special aggregates. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Eurostat reuse policy (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU), attribution required
- ONS, Annual Business Survey: UK non-financial business economy, sections A to S. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Open Government Licence v3.0, attribution required
- ONS, Monthly Business Survey: turnover of services industries. Retrieved 24 September 2026. Source link. Open Government Licence v3.0, attribution required