Logistics Industry Trends UK 2026: What Supply Chain and Transport Managers need to know
For supply chain managers and those in logistics, it’s important to understand what changes to expect in the year ahead. With digitalisation of supply chains, regulatory changes such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), and continued consolidation of smaller hauliers, your business needs to plan to be successful and sustainable.
Previously, we discussed what this year would bring and gave our 9 predictions for the transport industry in 2025. We predicted skilled drivers and dispatchers would continue to remain in short supply. This was correct with a decline of 1.9% HGV drivers in the UK compared to 2024.
As we predicted, there are fewer hauliers in the UK in 2025, with a decrease of 4%. There were also rising energy costs, more part loads, and closer collaborations to avoid bottlenecks. We predicted limited use of electric and hydrogen lorries, but there was an increase in zero-emission HGVs. This was due to the number of models available on the market and due to government-backed projects and funding for infrastructure development, such as the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID).
There was no significant increase in single wagon or group wagon traffic by rail, and there was an issue with cybercrime as we predicted.
Why Logistics Industry Trends in the UK matter in 2026
From stricter sustainability requirements and advances in artificial intelligence to growing cybersecurity risks and compliance obligations, logistics trends directly influence how efficiently goods are planned, transported and delivered across the UK and Mainland Europe. Businesses that anticipate these developments early can better control costs, reduce operational risks and respond more flexibly to market fluctuations.
This overview highlights the most relevant logistics industry trends in the UK for 2026 and explains why proactive preparation will be a key success factor for logistics and transport companies in the year ahead.
1. Sustainable logistics
With increasing legislation around sustainability, this area will continue to be a major influence in 2026. Legislation that will impact the logistics sector includes the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which, from 2026, will not only cover carbon emissions but also other greenhouse gases. This means shipping companies will be required to surrender allowances for 100% of their verified carbon emissions on journeys between EU/EEA ports. Other legislation includes the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), making carbon-intensive materials more expensive.
There will also be stricter regulations on CO2 emissions for new heavy goods vehicles, with the intention for zero-emission HGVs. Under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), high power stations will be installed every 60 – 100 km along the main trans-European transport network (TEN-T).
Circularity and reverse logistics will become more important with supply chains expected to handle the flow of used or unwanted materials back from consumers to producers. Sustainable logistics is not just about compliance but about enhancing reputation with customers and being cost-efficient.
How to navigate sustainability in logistics:
Carbon-led procurement
Collaborate with “green partners”
Diversify supply chains
Invest in electric or alternative fuel vehicles
Use real-time tracking
2. AI in logistics and supply chains
It’s no surprise that AI will continue to shape technology trends in logistics. With 38% of logistics companies using AI, this will only increase to help with decision-making and optimising processes. With ongoing staff shortages, particularly with truck drivers, port staff, and warehousing, AI will become increasingly useful in mitigating these challenges to continue doing business with the resources you have.
Ruth Waring, a transport and compliance consultant and founder of Women in Logistics UK, says, “The increasing influence of AI will affect all aspects of operations and include the use of AI for safety in warehouse environments, such as walking in an FLT area. There will also be AI advances in the way orders are processed and picked with greater emphasis on goods being moved as close as possible to their final destination. This will mean more small urban warehouses with more local deliveries done by electric vehicles.”
From real-time tracking to optimise routes, to generating quotes faster to adjust dynamically based on risk, and more advanced AI such as, digital twins and next-gen shipping, AI will impact every area of logistics.
How to navigate AI in logistics:
Route planning
Platforms with TMS or ERP integration
Budget planning and can get quotes faster to optimise profit margins
3. Elastic logistics
Elastic logistics is creating a flexible supply chain strategy to allow you to quickly scale up or down as needed. This means you can predict supply and demand and ensure smarter resource allocation, optimise your workforce, and meet customer expectations.
With trade volatility, tariffs and disruption to traditional shipping lanes, such as the Red Sea, logistics companies need to become more flexible. This can be done through flexible workflows, last-mile delivery, having a modular supply chain, and nearshoring to move production closer to end markets.
How to navigate elastic logistics:
Improve communication through platforms like TIMOCOM’s Messenger
Build relationships through freight exchanges
4. Cybersecurity in logistics
Cybersecurity remains one of the fastest-growing risks in European road freight transport. According to the Transport Asset Protection Association (TAPA), 49,366 criminal attacks on supply chains were recorded over a period of 273 days in 2023. For logistics companies, the most common risks include cargo theft, vehicle hijacking, lack of transparent communication, and fraud involving fake carriers or manipulated transport listings. As logistics processes become increasingly digital and platform-based, cyber risks are no longer limited to IT systems alone. They directly affect partner selection, order allocation and daily communication. For this reason, cybersecurity in logistics must focus not only on technical protection, but also on trust, transparency and verified collaboration within logistics networks.
To reduce these risks, companies should work with secure digital platforms that combine technical safeguards with organisational checks. This includes encrypted data transmission, two-factor authentication and clearly defined access rights. In addition, identity verification and continuous fraud monitoring play a crucial role in preventing unauthorised access and fraudulent behaviour.
How to navigate cybersecurity in logistics:
Improve communication
Ensure vetted partners
Implement secure systems
5. Logistics compliance
With increasingly complex compliance, it is important to ensure your company avoids unnecessary stress and consequences for not meeting regulations. It’s essential to work with partners and carry out due diligence on carriers, hauliers and overseas agents to ensure compliance.
Platforms like TIMOCOM’s freight marketplace vet partners thoroughly to take this pressure of you. You can also invest in bonded warehouses to create a controlled customs environment and clear audit trails can help ease the burden of compliance.
How to navigate logistics compliance:
Bonded warehouses
Freight marketplace
How TIMOCOM can help your logistics business
TIMOCOM supports your logistics business with digital solutions that improve efficiency, transparency and planning reliability across European road freight transport. With possibilities such as the Road Freight Marketplace, Routes & Costs, secure partner communication and Live Shipment Tracking, TIMOCOM helps freight forwarders and carriers optimise daily operations and reduce avoidable costs. With access to over 55,000 vetted business partners across Europe, transport orders can be assigned in as little as 20 seconds, all within a secure and trusted platform.
Freight marketplace
The freight exchange on the TIMOCOM Marketplace allows you to find and assign transport orders quickly. With up to 1 million vehicle or freight offers daily, around 82% of our customers assign freight within 15 minutes. TIMOCOM supports your business with freight management by providing features such as, TIMOCOM AI. You can automatically generate a freight offer based on the data from PDF documents, screenshots or e-mail texts within already 20 seconds!
Logistics Routes & Costs planner
With TIMOCOM Routes & Costs, customers can easily calculate routes and journey costs for individual vehicles – a real benefit for freight forwarders, carriers and their clients. Customers can determine the optimal route directly from a freight offer, transport order or tender. Both journey-related and ancillary costs are calculated transparently, enabling more accurate cost estimates and better pricing decisions.
Key benefits of Routes & Costs include:
- Automatic consideration of truck restrictions and driving bans
- Clear display of toll roads and toll costs
- Precise route and cost calculation based on individual cost rates
- Improved cost transparency for better planning and budgeting
This allows customers to plan routes more precisely, optimise costs and increase reliability, even on complex international routes.
Messenger
TIMOCOM Messenger allows fast, secure and efficient communication between partners to reduce waiting times, protect all data and allows you to verify email addresses to avoid security risks.
We recommend you to get your free trial of TIMOCOM to test the Road Freight Marketplace for your company. Or sign up for our newsletter for the latest news in logistics.
Or sign up for our newsletter for the latest news in road freight and logistics.
Tram Trinh Thanh
TIMOCOM Marketing Northern Europe, Benelux and UK
