2025 Road Transport Trends: Costs, Post-Brexit Rules and Logistics Digitalisation

2025 is a time of fast-moving change for European road transport. After a difficult 2024, the industry is entering a new decade with a mix of challenges and hope. On one hand, hauliers are facing rising fuel, wage and toll costs; on the other, technological progress and the digitalisation of logistics are opening up new opportunities. On top of that, regulation is playing a key role: the Mobility Package, new post-Brexit cabotage rules, and updates to the ADR Agreement.

Below is a detailed look at the most important trends and changes in road transport in 2025.

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1. Transport costs in 2025 — fuel and the green transition

According to expert forecasts, the cost of running a transport business will rise by 5–10% on average. The main factors:

• fuel — diesel prices in the UK averaged 146.4 pence per litre in February 2025. Although they have settled down after the sharp spikes of previous years, they still represent a significant cost burden.
• the green transition — CO₂ emission charges are being rolled out, along with fleet modernisation requirements.
• second-generation tachographs — all trucks must be fitted with them by August 2025, meaning further investment for companies.

Hauliers are increasingly investing in low-emission and electric vehicles, with governments supporting these changes through grant programmes.

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2. Driver shortages and working-time rules

The transport industry is still struggling with a shortage of HGV drivers, which, after a brief period of stabilisation, is deepening again.

Regulations continue to impose restrictions:

• drivers must comply with working-time and rest-period rules,
• the 4-day break rule after a series of cabotage operations in a single EU country applies,
• from September 2025, the requirement for a truck to return to base every 8 weeks (Mobility Package) will be scrapped, which should reduce the number of empty runs.

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3. Cabotage after Brexit — restrictions and market realities

Brexit changed the rules of the game for movements between the UK and the EU.

• An EU haulier may carry out a maximum of two cabotage operations in the UK within 7 days, after first delivering an international load.
• Certain intermodal operations, including combined transport, are not permitted.
• UK hauliers face similarly restricted rights in the EU.

Consequences:

• some companies have withdrawn from the UK market because of low profitability,
• those that remain have to follow the rules scrupulously to avoid fines running into tens of thousands of euros,
• the role of local partnerships on both sides of the Channel has grown.

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4. Digitalising logistics — GPS, monitoring and e-CMR

Technology is becoming the foundation of competitiveness in transport.

GPS systems and telematics

• allow real-time vehicle tracking,
• monitor fuel consumption and drivers' working time,
• enable geofencing — alerts when a vehicle leaves its planned route.

e-CMR — the electronic consignment note

• removes the need for paper documents,
• allows instant confirmation of delivery,
• speeds up invoicing and reduces the risk of payment delays,
• is more environmentally friendly and more secure.

The rollout of e-CMR in a growing number of countries (including Poland, and possibly the UK before long) means hauliers need to prepare for the full digitalisation of documentation.

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5. Safety for ADR movements and high-value loads

Transporting dangerous goods and valuable cargo calls for particular care.

ADR 2025 — new rules

A new version of the ADR Agreement has been in force since July 2025, introducing:

• changes to labelling and documentation,
• new exemptions for certain substances,
• changes to driver training.

Security measures

• GPS with geofencing and monitoring,
• electronic seals and special trailer locks,
• cargo insurance and extended carrier's liability (CMR) cover,
• TAPA-certified parking for trucks in transit.

The e-ADR project — electronic documentation for dangerous goods — is also being developed, and will in future speed up road and border checks.

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2025 is a time of major change for road transport in Europe and the United Kingdom. Costs are rising, regulation is getting tighter, and technology is speeding up the industry's digitalisation.

Companies that adapt to this new reality — investing in low-emission vehicles, rolling out e-CMR and ADR 2025, and building flexible supply chains on both sides of the Channel — will gain a competitive edge and a stronger market position.