Member News – 08 July 2026

8 July 2026

In this issue:

• Operation Brock announced for five weeks ahead of school summer holidays including HGV permits.
• Department for Transport’s amended National Policy Statement for ports.
• Transport for West Midlands explores potential introduction of Direst Vision Standard.
• Protecting marketing terms for automated vehicles.
• Consultation on in-use vehicle emissions.

Policy updates

Operation Brock announced for five weeks ahead of school summer holidays including HGV permits

The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) will deploy Operation Brock this summer to ensure disruption to communities is kept to a minimum in the face of increased traffic on the county’s roads. The Operation Brock contraflow system will be in place on the coastbound M20 between Junctions 8 and 9, with a reduced speed limit, creating dedicated lanes for HGVs to queue. The barrier will be installed on the evening of Monday 13 July and the M20 will reopen on Tuesday 14 July. The barrier will remain in place until Monday 24 August. Operation Brock allows traffic to use the M20 in both directions through a contraflow system. It also reduces the risk of having to close the Roundhill Tunnel near Folkestone, which can cause disruption on local roads and impact local communities. Permitting will be in place to maximise compliance and keep freight on the M20 and A20.

The non-compliance that causes local traffic management the most concern is when HGV drivers utilise the Eurotunnel queue but then by-pass Eurotunnel and continue to Port of Dover (POD). This can lead to the overwhelming of the Kent Traffic Assessment Protocol (TAP). Logistics UK has been informed that the permitting system designed to stop this from happening will be more robust over the summer. Therefore, there will be permitting for the Eurotunnel queue as well as POD.

Members who have drivers travelling through the Short Straits between the above dates are encouraged to have all required documentation ready before arriving at the port. Members should ensure drivers have enough supplies with them, such as food and drinks, as well as allowing extra time to pass through the ports.

Members with drivers passing through the Short Straits, should also be aware of the EU’s Entry Exit System and the risk of longer queues at the border. For more information regarding transit through the Port of Dover: EES Freight Drivers Procedure. For more information regarding transit through Eurotunnel terminals: EES at Eurotunnel terminals.

Department for Transport’s amended National Policy Statement for ports

The government has laid before Parliament the final proposed text of the amended National Policy Statement for Ports, which sets the policy framework for decisions on nationally significant port infrastructure projects in England and Milford Haven, Wales. The updated statement reinforces the long-standing policy of allowing the UK’s competitive ports sector to respond flexibly to changing market demands, while recognising the role of ports in supporting economic growth, energy resilience, and the energy transition. The amendments also update the policy to reflect current regulatory arrangements and government priorities, following consultation with industry and scrutiny by the House of Commons Transport Committee.

Logistics UK’s response to the consultation called for protection of existing water freight infrastructure from development and protection of existing use, which could be strengthened in this renewed policy statement. Logistics UK also called for recognition of a UK freight network and a focus on intermodal connectivity, which may be recognised within the upcoming Freight Plan, which has been delayed until after summer.

Transport for West Midlands explores potential introduction of DVS

Transport for West Midlands is exploring the potential introduction and application of a Direct Vision Standard (DVS), as implemented by Transport for London in 2021.

They are seeking views through a survey, with the closing date of Saturday 1 August 2026.

The Logistics UK’s member-approved position is that any implementation of a DVS elsewhere in the UK should align exactly with the scheme currently in place in London. Any divergence from the London model could result in additional complexity and costs for operators working across different regions.

If members have any other views that they would like to be captured in the response, please email Maddi Solloway-Price by the 17 July.

Protecting marketing terms for automated vehicles

The government has laid new regulations that will restrict the use of terms such as ‘self-driving’, ‘driverless’, ‘automated driving’ and ‘autonomous driving’ to vehicles that are officially authorised or listed as capable of driving themselves safely and legally. The measures form part of the implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 and are intended to prevent customers and vehicle users from being misled about a vehicle’s capabilities.

The government says the new rules will help protect road safety, support public confidence in self-driving technology and safeguard the integrity of the vehicle authorisation process. The regulations were laid before Parliament on 7 July 2026 and are expected to come into force on 7 January 2027, giving manufacturers and suppliers time to review marketing and promotional materials.

Further details can be found on GOV.UK here.

Consultation on in-use vehicle emissions

The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on proposals to strengthen the regulation of In-use emissions of road vehicles: regulating environmental impacts, including requirements for vehicles to maintain their original emissions standards throughout their operational life and restrictions on modifications that increase emissions.

The proposals could have significant implications for vehicle operators, workshops and fleet maintenance practices. Logistics UK will be responding to the consultation and would welcome members’ views.

Please send any comments or evidence to Arthur Gribbin by 13 August 2026 to help inform Logistics UK’s response. The consultation closes on 6 September 2026.

Quick briefs

Fleet Engineer 2026 awarded CPD certification

Logistics UK’s Fleet Engineer 2026 has achieved CPD certification, recognising that the event provides relevant learning opportunities for the intended audience.

MAC closure on 16 July

Please note that the Member Advice Centre will be closed from 10:30-12:30 on Thursday 16 July for team training.

The team will be collating voice and email messages during this period and will process them when we reopen. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Logistics UK responded to call for evidence on flexibility in electrolytic hydrogen production

Logistics UK has submitted its response to DESNZ’s call for evidence on flexibility in electrolytic hydrogen production and use. The submission argued that the sector’s decarbonisation timeline is being shaped by investment decisions being made now, driven by the future HGV CO2 regulatory framework and government zero-emission ambitions. It also highlighted that investment in hydrogen HGVs is held back by commercial barriers rather than technology, particularly unpredictable vehicle and fuel costs, that logistics remains underrepresented in hydrogen policy development, despite being a potential key end user, and that DESNZ’s whole-system approach to hydrogen must explicitly integrate freight movement data, logistics corridor geography and fleet transition timelines into infrastructure planning.

Members can view the full response here.

New report from Critical Supply Group

The Critical Supply Group has published a new UK Supply Report today (8 July), where findings show that almost three-quarters of the surveyed UK suppliers to critical sectors are capable of providing further support.

Headline findings show that procurement and tendering complexity (67%) is the biggest barrier preventing companies from suppling more to critical sectors, followed by limited visibility of opportunities (64%) and limited buyer engagement (39%). In addition, Europe is regarded as the UK’s most trusted international supply partner, with 62% of companies identifying it as offering the most secure and reliable supply, ahead of the US and China.

The full UK Supply Survey and Report 2026 is available here.

Upcoming M48 Severn Bridge resurfacing trial reminder

A reminder that historically National Highways has hand laid the surfacing on the M48 but, to ensure the works can be machine laid, it will be resurfacing a 200m section of the bridge this summer as a trial of machine laying. The works are being carried out over the summer to minimise the disruption as it recognises the commuter heavy nature of the route.

Work begins on 1 August, with full closure details found on National Highways’ website here.

Support and advice

Road tax
Q. We need to tax our fleet of 12t vehicles this month and are being charged £162.00 to do so. We thought the vehicle excise duty (VED) holiday meant that this would cost £1 each?

A. The VED holiday that came into effect on 1 July 2026 has been applied in this case, but the HGV road user levy continues to operate as normal. The levy applies to vehicles 12t and over, so you will continue to pay the levy of £161 for these vehicles, plus a £1 VED fee, making the total payable amount £162.

A £1 renewal fee would only apply to vehicles under 12t who do not pay the road user levy.

DVLA have updated their V149/1 document, which can be found here.

Brake test reports
Q. Who is responsible for signing off the Electronic Brake Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS) reports, is it the maintenance provider or the operator?

A. Section 5.3 of DVSA’s Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness states that EBPMS reports should be reviewed and signed off by a “competent person who can interpret the data”, although it is the operator that remains responsible for ensuring their maintenance system is effective and their vehicles and/or trailers are roadworthy.

Insight and reports

Logistics UK has published its Logistics Report 2026, an annual review of the trends affecting the logistics industry in the UK. It provides an up-to-date assessment of the issues those moving goods are facing, across all modes of transport and parts of UK logistics. Logistics underpins the whole economy - nothing moves without it.

Download a copy of the summary report here.

Average EU and UK forecourt prices

Please find the average EU and UK forecourt prices here.

Have your say

Logistics UK works to ensure the voice of the logistics industry is heard by government and decision-makers. By taking part in our surveys, members provide the evidence and insight that help shape policy discussions, consultation responses and industry campaigns.

Your insight matters! Help us shape Logistics UK.

Our new membership research survey has launched, and your insights will directly shape the benefits and services we provide – that support you, your business and the wider logistics industry.

Independent research agency Red Brick Research are helping us to deliver this 10-15 minute survey and undertake a series of interviews.

By completing the survey, you can enter a prize draw to win one of 5 x £100 prizes, as well as volunteering your interest in an online interview to give your views in more detail.

Please take a few minutes to share your voice here – it will make a difference.