Vans more important than ever to UK economy

25th July 2016

Vans and their drivers are vital to the UK economy, with more than four million of them now on the road according to the 2016 FTA Logistics Report.

The Freight Transport Association’s statistics are supported in the latest Department for Transport Road Traffic Estimates, which showed that van traffic grew faster than any other vehicle type in the UK, and currently covers around 48 billion miles in 2015. 

The Logistics Report also highlights the dramatic shift in the way the public shops.  By the end of 2015, retailers predicted they would be delivering more than 860 million parcels to UK homes – thanks to the e-commerce explosion.

“If ever there was a need for evidence to support how vans power our daily lives, the latest DfT figures provide it,” Mark Cartwright, the FTA’s Head of Vans, said.  “There are now over four million vans on UK roads, covering more miles than ever before, and their numbers are growing at a rate faster than any other type of vehicle.

“This is further confirmation of the humble van’s importance to the UK’s economic activity.  It’s been recognised for a while that there is a clear correlation between UK GDP and van traffic, but we’re now seeing the growth in van traffic outstrip economic performance, primarily due to internet shopping and entrepreneurial activity.”

The importance of vans has been the focus of this year’s FTA Van Excellence Operational Briefings sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Vans, along with how seriously operators should consider safety and compliance in their day-to-day work.

Mark Cartwright added:  “It is important for van operators to take safety and compliance seriously if they want to continue enjoying the operational flexibility vans provide.  Self-regulation is the key to stopping moves to impose ‘truck-like’ legislation across van fleets.  Van Excellence provides a very straightforward route for operators to adopt industry best practice and become an Accredited Operator.