By 2025, 65% of logistics workers are expected to need upskilling in digital tools, even as the sector still grapples with driver shortages that 78% of UK logistics firms reported in 2023. At the same time, the workforce is changing shape with female employment rising to 28% and part time roles now making up 25% of jobs. This mix of staffing pressure, pay growth, and rapid tech adoption is exactly what makes the UK logistics figures worth a closer look.
Key Takeaways
- There were 2.1 million people employed in the UK logistics sector as of 2023.
- 78% of UK logistics firms reported driver shortages in 2023.
- Average logistics wage increased to £32,500 in 2023.
- UK road freight transport accounted for 85% of all inland freight moved by tonne-kilometres in 2022.
- Rail freight volumes grew by 4.2% year-on-year in 2022.
- Deep-sea container throughput at UK ports was 12.5 million TEU in 2022.
- £2.5 billion was invested in UK port infrastructure in 2022.
- There are 2,300 miles of motorways in the UK supporting logistics.
- Government allocated £4 billion for road maintenance 2020-2025.
- The UK logistics sector contributed £144.2 billion to the economy in 2022, representing 6.5% of total GDP.
- The UK warehousing market size reached £15.6 billion in 2023.
- UK parcel delivery market volume hit 2.9 billion items in 2022.
- UK logistics emissions totalled 28 million tonnes of CO2e in 2021.
- 45% of UK hauliers adopted telematics technology by 2023.
- 62% of UK logistics companies use electric vehicles in fleets (2023 pilot).
UK logistics employs 2.1 million people, but driver shortages and skills gaps are driving rising pay and growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment & Skills21 stats
01
There were 2.1 million people employed in the UK logistics sector as of 2023.
02
78% of UK logistics firms reported driver shortages in 2023.
03
Average logistics wage increased to £32,500 in 2023.
04
120,000 HGV driver vacancies reported in 2023.
05
65% of logistics workers require upskilling in digital tools by 2025.
06
Female employment in logistics rose to 28% in 2023.
07
Apprenticeships in logistics: 45,000 starts in 2022/23.
08
Logistics manager salaries averaged £55,000 in 2023.
09
92,000 new logistics jobs created post-Brexit (2021-23).
10
Youth training programs reached 30,000 logistics workers 2023.
11
Diversity training completed by 60% of logistics firms 2023.
12
Overtime hours in logistics averaged 8 per week (2023).
13
15% rise in logistics graduate hires 2022-23.
14
Union membership in logistics: 22% of workforce 2023.
15
Mental health support programs in 75% of firms 2023.
16
Retention rate in logistics: 82% after training 2023.
17
Part-time workers: 25% of logistics workforce 2023.
18
Leadership training for 12,000 managers in 2023.
19
Gig economy drivers: 150,000 in delivery 2023.
20
40-hour average workweek in logistics (2023).
21
Safety certification rate: 95% of HGVs (2023).
Interpretation
Employment & Skills Interpretation
Despite employing over two million people and creating tens of thousands of new jobs, the UK logistics sector is wrestling with a profound irony: it's simultaneously raising wages, desperately trying to fill over 120,000 driver vacancies, and upskilling its workforce, all while a significant portion of its essential staff are contemplating the gig economy's freedom or working an average of eight hours overtime per week.
02 · Category
Freight Volumes & Modes22 stats
01
UK road freight transport accounted for 85% of all inland freight moved by tonne-kilometres in 2022.
02
Rail freight volumes grew by 4.2% year-on-year in 2022.
03
Deep-sea container throughput at UK ports was 12.5 million TEU in 2022.
04
Air freight tonnage handled by UK airports: 1.8 million tonnes in 2022.
05
Inland waterways freight: 200 million tonne-km in 2022.
06
Road haulage dominated with 15.2 billion tonne-km in 2022.
07
Coastal shipping freight: 45 million tonnes in 2022.
08
Pipeline freight volumes: 50 million tonne-km (2022).
09
Multimodal freight share: 8% of total volume 2022.
10
Gatwick Airport cargo: 450,000 tonnes in 2022.
11
Felixstowe port handled 3.7 million TEU in 2022.
12
Stansted cargo throughput: 280,000 tonnes 2022.
13
Manchester Ship Canal freight: 12 million tonnes 2022.
14
Heathrow cargo: 1.2 million tonnes in 2022.
15
Immingham port freight: 65 million tonnes 2022.
16
Liverpool2 container terminal: 1 million TEU capacity.
17
Teesport bulk freight: 25 million tonnes 2022.
18
London Gateway port: 1.1 million TEU 2022.
19
Southampton port containers: 820,000 TEU 2022.
20
Hull port freight: 18 million tonnes 2022.
21
Grimsby port tonnage: 12 million tonnes 2022.
22
Dover port freight vehicles: 2.5 million lorries 2022.
Interpretation
Freight Volumes & Modes Interpretation
The UK's freight landscape remains stubbornly dominated by the lorry, with a sprawling network of ports and airports bustling beneath its vast shadow, while rail quietly grows and inland waterways hum along as a quaint but vital afterthought.
03 · Category
Infrastructure & Investment21 stats
01
£2.5 billion was invested in UK port infrastructure in 2022.
02
There are 2,300 miles of motorways in the UK supporting logistics.
03
Government allocated £4 billion for road maintenance 2020-2025.
04
150 new distribution centres built in UK in 2022 (total 1,200 sqm).
05
£1.2 billion HS2 freight bypass funding announced 2023.
06
450 miles of new cycle lanes for last-mile logistics by 2023.
07
£500 million for electric HGV charging network 2023.
08
25 major logistics parks developed 2020-2023.
09
£27 billion roads investment plan 2020-2030.
10
1,200 EV charging points for HGVs installed by 2023.
11
Birmingham Interchange logistics hub: £1 billion project.
12
£800 million Northern Powerhouse Rail freight upgrade.
13
East Midlands Gateway: 2 million sq ft warehouse space.
14
£300 million for Thames crossing logistics link.
15
M25 smart motorway upgrade: £800 million spent.
16
£1.5 billion Trans-Pennine rail freight dualling.
17
500 km of new rail sidings for freight 2020-23.
18
£400 million A12 logistics corridor upgrade.
19
Oxford-Cambridge arc logistics investment: £2bn.
20
£650 million for freight capacity enhancement programme.
21
Midlands Rail Hub: £1.8 billion freight link.
Interpretation
Infrastructure & Investment Interpretation
Britain is methodically, and at great expense, stitching its logistics network back together after decades of underinvestment, betting that a smarter combination of roads, rails, ports, and warehouses will keep the nation's parcels, pallets, and produce moving without our entire economy grinding to a halt over a single delayed container ship or a pothole.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size & Revenue21 stats
01
The UK logistics sector contributed £144.2 billion to the economy in 2022, representing 6.5% of total GDP.
02
The UK warehousing market size reached £15.6 billion in 2023.
03
UK parcel delivery market volume hit 2.9 billion items in 2022.
04
Logistics sector revenue growth was 5.8% in 2022.
05
UK third-party logistics (3PL) market valued at £28 billion in 2023.
06
Express parcel revenue in UK: £9.5 billion in 2022.
07
Freight forwarding market size: £12.4 billion in 2023.
08
Contract logistics revenue: £18.7 billion in 2022.
09
UK courier market grew 12% to £7.2 billion in 2022.
10
Domestic road freight market: £45 billion in 2023.
11
UK supply chain management software market: £4.1 billion 2023.
12
E-commerce logistics segment: £22 billion revenue 2022.
13
International freight forwarding: £8.9 billion 2023.
14
UK cold chain logistics market: £6.3 billion 2023.
15
Warehousing rental rates averaged £8.50/sqft in 2023.
16
UK last-mile delivery market: £11.2 billion 2022.
17
Fulfilment services growth: 9% to £5.4 billion 2023.
18
Reverse logistics market: £3.8 billion in 2023.
19
UK freight brokerage platforms: £2.1 billion GMV 2023.
20
Transport management systems market: £1.9bn 2023.
21
UK air logistics market value: £4.7 billion 2023.
Interpretation
Market Size & Revenue Interpretation
The UK's logistics industry is a £144-billion-a-year, 2.9-billion-parcel-delivering behemoth, quietly proving that while you may have ordered it online, it’s the unsung symphony of warehouses, trucks, and software that actually keeps the economy from grinding to a halt.
05 · Category
Sustainability & Technology21 stats
01
UK logistics emissions totalled 28 million tonnes of CO2e in 2021.
02
45% of UK hauliers adopted telematics technology by 2023.
03
62% of UK logistics companies use electric vehicles in fleets (2023 pilot).
04
AI adoption in UK logistics supply chains reached 35% in 2023.
05
Blockchain pilots in UK logistics reduced fraud by 22% (2023).
06
Drone delivery trials covered 15% of rural UK areas in 2023.
07
IoT sensors in UK warehouses: 70% penetration by 2023.
08
5G rollout enabled 40% faster logistics tracking (2023).
09
Robotic automation in 55% of large UK warehouses (2023).
10
Predictive analytics reduced downtime by 25% in fleets (2023).
11
Hydrogen fuel cell HGVs trialled: 50 units in 2023.
12
Cloud-based TMS adoption: 68% in mid-sized firms 2023.
13
Autonomous truck pilots: 200 miles tested daily 2023.
14
Big data analytics in 42% of UK 3PL providers 2023.
15
RPA bots automated 30% of invoice processing 2023.
16
Cybersecurity incidents down 18% with AI tools 2023.
17
Digital twins used in 28% of major depots 2023.
18
AR/VR training reduced errors by 35% in warehouses.
19
Edge computing sped up real-time tracking by 50%.
20
Quantum computing pilots for route optimisation 2023.
21
Metaverse simulations for training: 15% adoption.
Interpretation
Sustainability & Technology Interpretation
It's a tale of two logistics worlds: while the industry proudly builds a digital future of robots, AI, and telematics, its stubborn carbon footprint whispers that the journey to genuine sustainability still has too many diesel-fuelled miles on the clock.
Reference
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Uk Logistics Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-logistics-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Uk Logistics Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-logistics-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Uk Logistics Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-logistics-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
71 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level