After a long and challenging period for the UK haulage industry, there’s some good news to report, as the HGV industry has just posted another year of growth, with longstanding supply chain problems also appearing to ease. During 2022, HGV registrations increased by 9.6% (to 40,716 units) according to a new Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) report.
These figures come in the first complete year of open trading since the end of the pandemic, which saw robust demands being made of the UK’s construction, distribution and haulage sectors. And while the market still sits 16.1% lower than it was in 2019, a strong performance in Q3, followed by a 14.4% increase year-on-year in Q4 led to a strong end to the year.
Significant Growth Throughout the Year
2022 was a significant year of growth for the haulage sector, with articulated truck deliveries going up by an impressive 21.9% (to 19,414 units). Rigid registrations were only up 0.3%, however, by far the most popular segment was tractors, increasing by 21.7%. Box vans also saw a rise of 0.2% (taking them up to 4,062 units).
Curtained-sided trucks also saw an increase in demand of 5.9%, although registrations in tippers and drop-sided lorries was down a little. Refuse vehicles saw the biggest drop, with demand falling by 14.8%. All in all, the industry has seen a major upswing in demand that bodes very well for the future.
HGV Registrations Increase Across the UK
Overall HGV registrations in the United Kindgom increased, with all home nations seeing a meaningful rise during 2022. The overwhelming majority (87% of the market) were seen in England, with Scotland coming in at 6.8%. Third and fourth spots were taken by Wales (3.1%) and Northern Ireland (2.4%) completing the picture.
The SMMT also confirmed that there’s a growing demand for zero emission trucks. Furthermore, lorry manufacturers are in the process of investing a great deal of money into the next generation of trucks and attempting to accelerate hydrogen and electric models to market. That said, right now there’s no single technology that meets all use case needs.
“A Plan For HGV Refuelling/Recharging Infrastructure Is Needed”
Despite the news being positive, the SMMT still thinks there is room for improvement in terms of the current plan for establishing the necessary refuelling/recharging infrastructure. As such, the SMMT’s Chief Exec Mike Hawes called for a much clearer plan for public refuelling and recharging infrastructure that’s able to meet HGV needs.
He had this to say on the matter…“Another year of growth in HGV registrations marked by a strong second half performance shows that operators have an increasing appetite to invest, with deliveries enabled by the easing of supply and logistics disruptions.
“As manufacturers deliver more zero emission vehicles to market, there must be policy certainty and infrastructure assurance to inspire further fleet renewal. This will be essential to the UK’s ability to deliver its decarbonisation agenda, while keeping the British economy and society on the move.”
The Green Shoots of Recovery Are Appearing
After the challenging year that was 2022, it’s heartening to now see the green shoots of recovery start to appear. With increasing demand in most sectors and the UK supply chain looking in better shape, things are looking better. However, we shouldn’t rest on our laurels, as further good news like this surely still relies upon hard work and focus.
As such, at HGVC, we’ll continue to do what we’re best at – offering industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs via our huge UK training centre network. To learn more about what sets us apart from the competition and how we help to support UK haulage, please take a few moments to browse our website.
Alternatively, to get in touch, either click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888, and a member of our team will be more than happy to talk you through your options.
