Welcome to This Week in Freight, your go-to source for the latest haulage and road freight news and advice in the UK.
Black Friday is coming — and so is the pressure. Ecommerce sales are forecast to hit £10.3bn, with order volumes up nearly 19%, putting 3PLs and warehouse operators under immense strain. We explore how the industry’s preparing for its biggest week of the year.
Also in this week’s edition: a record 23% rise in UK EV charge points, a practical guide to buying a used HGV without costly surprises, and new insight on freight crime, underground cold storage, and seasonal demand management.
💥 Ecommerce faces its biggest test yet
Online order volumes are set to rise by 18.6% this Black Friday, with shoppers expected to spend £10.3bn across the week, according to warehouse software provider Mintsoft.
For ecommerce sellers and 3PLs, that means pressure on fulfilment, delivery, and customer service like never before. From forecasting demand to avoiding costly mistakes, logistics leaders share how to prepare for the sector’s busiest week of the year — and why collaboration and transparency are key to surviving the surge.
→ Read the full Black Friday report.
🚛 How to buy a used HGV with confidence
Buying a used HGV can be a smart way to grow your fleet — but only if you know what to look for.
Our latest guide covers every step, from checking emissions compliance and ownership records to calculating the true cost of ownership.
It also includes a post-purchase checklist and advice on avoiding common pitfalls, ensuring your next truck is reliable, compliant, and fit for the road ahead.
→ Get the complete used HGV buying guide.
⚡ A new EV charger every 33 minutes
The UK’s public EV charging network has expanded by 23% in the past year — the equivalent of one new charger every 33 minutes.
With over 86,000 chargers now available, the government and private sector are racing to keep up with demand from both drivers and fleets.
New planning reforms and major investments from ChargeUK, Vauxhall and Gridserve are ensuring access for renters, rural areas, and freight operators alike.
→ Read the full EV infrastructure update.
Also worth a read
- 🚛 Learn how to forecast demand, scale your fleet, and keep deliveries on track when seasonal peaks hit the road freight sector.
- 🧊 Cold storage moves underground as M&M Quality Solutions opens a subterranean logistics hub — reshaping the future of temperature-controlled freight.
- 🕵️♂️ What a $100m Louvre jewellery heist can teach the industry about preventing freight fraud and cargo theft.
- 🛡️ With freight crime soaring, experts say driver safety and secure parking must move to the top of the logistics agenda.
