ISBN 1-85765-685-7

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

MARKET POSITION

MARKET SECTORS

MARKET TRENDS

Table 1: Freight Transported by Mode (billion tonne kilometres, million tonnes and percent), 1991-1996

Table 2: Freight Transport by Goods Vehicles Over 3.5 Tonnes by Mode of Working (billion tonne kilometres), 1991-1996

Table 3: Number of Licenced Goods Vehicles Over 3.5 Tonnes (000), 1985-1996

Table 4: Freight Transport by Length of Haul by Goods Vehicles Over 3.5 Tonnes (million tonnes, billion tonne kilometres and kilometres), 1991-1996

Market Size

THE TOTAL MARKET

THE INTERNATIONAL SECTOR

Table 5: Freight Transported by Road by Volume (billion tonne kilometres), 1991-1996

Table 6: Freight Transport by Commodity (billion tonne kilometres), 1991-1995

Table 7: International Road Haulage by UK-Registered Vehicles Over 3.5 Tonnes (billion tonne kilometres), 1991-1996

Industry Background

RECENT HISTORY

INDUSTRY FRAGMENTATION

EMPLOYMENT

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Table 8: Number of Transport and Distribution Businesses by Size of Turnover, 1996

Table 9: Number of Employees in Transport and Related Industries in the UK (000), March 1992-1996

Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

MARKET LEADERS

Table 10: The UK's Five Largest Distribution Companies by Turnover and Market Share (£m and percent), 1995/1996

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Buying Behaviour

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

INTRODUCTION

THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

WAREHOUSING

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Current Issues

THE RESURGENCE OF RAIL FREIGHT

THE OPENING OF THE CHANNEL TUNNEL

LABOUR GOVERNMENT TRANSPORT POLICY

CORPORATE ACTIVITY

Forecasts

FUTURE PROSPECTS

FORECASTS 1997 TO 2000

MULTINATIONAL PRODUCTION AND MARKETING

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Table 11: Market Forecasts for Road Haulage by Vehicles Over 3.5 Tonnes by Volume (billion tonne kilometres), 1997-2000

Company Profiles

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Sources

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

HBI UK INFORMATION SOURCES

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Activity in the road haulage sector has recovered substantially since the economic downturn at the start of the 1990s. Key Note estimates that in 1996, the amount of road freight moved in the UK increased by 4.9 percent to a record 157 billion tonne kilometres. Despite this increase in turnover, however, trading conditions in the industry remain difficult.

The road haulage market has changed significantly over the last 15 years. During this time, the industry has evolved from generally being one of low-level, `trunking'-style operations, to one of considerable sophistication. The emphasis in the industry is now on providing a wide range of integrated supply chain management services, such as warehousing and stock control. A parallel trend has been the growth in the outsourcing of distribution functions. The development of the third-party distribution sector, however, has not been without its difficulties.

Another factor contributing to the upheaval in the distribution market is the rapid pace of technological development. The advent of affordable technology has revolutionised the industry by increasing the quality of communication between supply chain members. One particularly important development is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which allows intensive information sharing by formatting and packaging information in a standardised form. The effect of technological advance has been to favour those companies, generally the major players, which are prepared to invest heavily in information technology (IT).

The road haulage industry is also encountering difficulties in the environmental arena. Improvements to road infrastructure are unlikely to keep pace with traffic growth due to opposition to continued road building, and this is likely to result in future in increased charges for road use. While road freight operators can make a limited response to this problem through an expansion in truck capacity and a move towards 24-hour and weekend working, it is inevitable that freight operators will be forced to make greater use of the rail system.

The outlook for road haulage firms is, at best, mixed. Steady domestic economic growth, international expansion opportunities and a continued shift to outsourcing will underpin industry growth. Nevertheless, customer pressure will ensure that margins in the industry remain competitive. It seems likely that the outcome will be greater industrial concentration, as economies of scale in terms of both capital and expertise become increasingly critical for corporate success.

Text © 1997 Key Note

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