Capacity remains tight, even as training pipelines recover
The number of new vocational licences issued each year has recovered from the disruption of recent years, but demand for HGV capacity — particularly around peak periods — continues to outstrip readily available supply in many regions. For shippers, that means booking on the spot market at short notice is increasingly likely to mean higher prices and less certainty over timing.
How to protect your lead times
The businesses that keep service levels stable tend to plan further ahead and diversify how they access capacity, rather than relying on a single carrier or booking everything reactively.
- Forecast volumes and share them with your transport partner ahead of known busy periods
- Avoid relying on a single carrier for critical routes — a network approach spreads risk
- Book recurring or predictable freight on a scheduled basis rather than ad hoc
- Build in slightly longer lead times during known pinch points such as pre-Christmas and Bank Holiday weekends
Why an arranged network model helps
Because Johnson's Haulage sources capacity from an approved network rather than a single fleet, we're able to move a booking to another compliant carrier if one part of the network is stretched, rather than simply telling a customer there's no capacity available. That flexibility is one of the clearest practical advantages of an arranged transport model during periods of driver and vehicle shortage.
Talk to our team.
Get a tailored quote or speak to our operations team about your transport requirements.