Welcome to This Week in Freight, your go-to source for the latest haulage and road freight news and advice in the UK.
Every Friday, we gather the week’s top stories affecting fleet managers, operators, and drivers, keeping you informed on industry trends, updates, and key developments.
🏳️ Unmarked HGVs, unmistakable results
Over the past decade, police forces using unmarked HGV cabs have spotted more than 51,500 offences – including mobile phone use and seatbelt violations – through Operation Tramline.
The elevated view from these trucks helps officers identify dangerous driving behaviour that’s hard to see from a standard patrol car.
As the campaign marks its 10th anniversary, National Highways and police forces say the initiative is helping shift driver behaviour, but the work isn’t over.
See how these covert cabs are making UK roads safer.
🤔 Do you have the right haulage insurance?
It’s easy to focus on vehicle value when quoting for HGV insurance.
But your claim history, cargo type, and even where your vehicles are kept overnight all affect the final price. With the right setup, you could save without cutting corners.
Check our new haulage insurance guide to understand what really impacts your premiums.
🏁 London’s Silvertown Tunnel opens to drivers
After more than a decade in development, the Silvertown Tunnel is now open, promising faster journey times and reduced congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel.
But for hauliers, it’s a mixed blessing. While the new Thames crossing adds much-needed resilience to London’s east-west freight routes, operators are pushing back against the £10 peak-time toll for HGVs, calling it unfair and unsustainable.
Find out why operators are frustrated, and what they want TfL to change.
⚡ DPD trials electric HGV with 800km range
DPD has started road testing the MAN eTGX electric HGV, aiming to add zero-emission heavy trucks to its UK fleet later this year. The 800km-range truck will be tested on live delivery routes from the Hinckley hub.
While most of DPD’s HGVs already run on low-emission HVO fuel, the company is working with MAN to develop an electric vehicle capable of hauling double-decker trailers—essential for maintaining load efficiency.
DPD has already cut emissions by 47.5% since 2020 and remains on track to hit net zero by 2040.
See what this means for HGV electrification.
😀 6 easy ways to keep your customers happy
Is customer service costing you repeat business?
Great customer service is about more than delivering on time.
From team training to real-time tracking, our haulage customer service guide shares strategies to keep customers happy and coming back.
🛠️ Time to rethink your loading dock?
For decades, pit-style dock levelers have been the industry default, but at a high cost.
Between downtime, lost floor space, building damage, and poor thermal efficiency, they’re holding warehouses back. That’s why a growing number of Fortune 100 companies are switching to modular exterior dock levelers that install in a single day and boost both flexibility and ROI.
Could your loading dock be costing you more than you think? Find out how modular exterior dock levelers are changing the game.
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