TWIF: Volvo’s latest innovation, Evri goes big, and lessons in loyalty

Welcome to This Week in Freight, your go-to source for the latest haulage and road freight news and advice in the UK.

Big changes are rolling through the UK road freight world this week:

• Evri’s takeover of DHL eCommerce UK has officially been approved, setting the stage for a new parcel giant.
• Volvo is launching stop/start engine tech to help diesel go greener while electrification builds.
• And one small haulier shares his blueprint for turning a single load into loyal customers and sustainable growth.

Catch up on all that — plus grants, rates, and even some rail freight news — in this week’s news roundup.

📦 Big parcel energy: Evri gets green light to absorb DHL

The CMA has officially approved Evri’s takeover of DHL eCommerce UK — with no concerns around competition.

The new combined business will deliver over 1 billion parcels and 1 billion letters annually, entering the UK mail space for the first time. Big ambitions, big fleets, big shake-up.

→ See what this means for parcel and mail delivery in the UK.

🌍 Going downhill never looked so green: Volvo’s new fuel-saver

Volvo Trucks has launched a world-first stop/start engine function for HGVs — cutting fuel use and CO2 by temporarily switching off the engine on downslopes.

Activated at speeds above 60 km/h, this clever tech is part of Volvo’s push to make diesel greener while electric ramps up.

→ See how the system works and when it’s available to order.

🛠️ Grow slow, stay strong: haulage lessons from Direct Connect

Winning a job is one thing — keeping a customer for 10+ years is another.

Rhys Hackling of Direct Connect Logistics shares the playbook that helped him grow from 2 to 18 trucks while building a loyal client base.

From smart use of tech to standout driver standards, this is how to scale sustainably.

→ Get the full guide on turning one load into long-term growth.

Also worth a read

• 📈 Transport prices rise across haulage and courier sectors as August demand climbed faster than supply, driven by warm weather and summer spending.
• ⚡ Scotland is offering grants of up to £20,000 to help small hauliers explore electrification — with the goal of building a national roadmap for HGV decarbonisation.
• 🏭 82% of Dutch and Belgian firms believe their TMS will soon be unfit for purpose — with AI, automation and integration driving the shift.
• 🦺 Blind spots in warehouses are costing more than downtime — this deep dive reveals why traditional safety approaches aren’t working.

Movers & shakers

Here are this week’s new transport deals, partnerships and developments:

• Neill & Brown has launched a new rail freight service connecting the UK to Germany and Italy via sustainable European corridors.
• FSEW has opened the UK’s first fully electric truck lane between Tesco distribution centres in South Wales.
• Lidl has invested £435m to expand its UK warehousing footprint by over 1.6 million sq ft.
• Royal Mail posted its first profit in three years, driven by rising parcel volumes and out-of-home delivery growth.
• Winvic has begun construction on a new 250,000ft²+ logistics warehouse in Rugby’s Golden Triangle.