The report shows the active HGV driver workforce stood at 293,714 at the beginning of 2025
The UK’s haulage sector is facing a critical labour shortage as the number of HGV drivers continues to decline, according to Logistics UK’s Compliance Report 2025.
Launched at the organisation’s Transport Manager conference in Yeovil, the report shows the active HGV driver workforce stood at 293,714 at the beginning of 2025 — a 1.9% fall on the previous year. The reduction has been driven largely by a drop in UK-born drivers, down 4.5% (12,183 drivers), partly offset by a 15.4% rise in EU nationals working in the UK (up 4,415 drivers).
Logistics UK’s Acting Chief Executive, Kevin Green, described the situation as one that leaves the sector “at a crossroads”. He warned: “Without logistics, the UK economy would grind to a halt, but our research shows that the HGV sector, which delivers much of what the economy relies on every day, is facing a declining workforce, ageing demographics and training gaps.”
Green criticised the government’s decision to discontinue national funding for the HGV Skills Bootcamps, an initiative that trained more than 20,000 drivers with a 72% job placement rate. He said: “Our sector is the lifeblood of the UK’s economy and deserves to be invested to futureproof our workforce.”
The report also highlights structural changes in the industry. Over the past decade, the number of operator licences in Great Britain has fallen by 12.4%, while the number of vehicles specified on licences has risen by 9.4%. This reflects a trend towards consolidation, with fewer operators managing larger fleets. Logistics UK suggests these firms may be better positioned to withstand economic volatility, adapt to regulatory change and invest in modernisation.
Compliance standards, however, are improving. HGV MOT failure rates have dropped significantly over time, with initial failures falling from 32.4% in 2008/09 to 10.3% in 2024/25, and final failures down from 17.7% to 6.9%. Senior Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney, writing in the report’s foreword, said non-compliance cases remained “exceptions rather than the rule” and praised the “high standards that the vast majority of operators consistently maintain.”
Green said compliance would remain at the core of the industry but stressed that skills shortages must be tackled. “There are still challenges ahead, especially in the area of skills and the sector needs a coordinated approach to recruitment. On behalf of our members, we are pressing the government to work with industry to support alternative training pathways to recruit, and address working conditions that affect retention, both of which are critical for stabilising and building resilience into the sector.”
Copies of the Compliance Report 2025 are being distributed to delegates at Logistics UK’s Transport Manager conferences and are also available to members via the organisation’s website.