Why the ‘Driverless’ Narrative Is Failing the Freight Industry

27 January 2026

Toby Patrick

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To many people, the thought of stepping into a driverless vehicle or being surrounded by them would seem risky. Yet despite this, according to many, the future of freight is driverless. But if we are moving towards a driverless future, we’re doing so more slowly than was expected. Is this an us problem, or is it a technology problem?

Modern silver train on tracks in an urban area, with mountains in the background. Visible power lines and a sign in the foreground.

Fear Before Function

There’s a lot of talk about driverless technology, but the action doesn’t match the talk. If we were to go back to the start of the millennium, I think most opinion leaders would agree that we’d be surrounded by driverless cars, trains, trucks and planes. Even in today’s current state of affairs, driverless vehicles seem to make the news regularly, but how many businesses are actually using the technology? How many people have stepped into a driverless vehicle? The numbers are pretty low, and there still appears to be a massive gap between marketing and adoption.

The Skill Shortage

The industry also appears to be at somewhat of a crossroads. Fewer people are undergoing transport training out of fear of a driverless future, but driverless technology isn’t at the point where it can replace traditional transport.

Not only does this contribute towards a driver shortage, but it has also contributed to a skill shortage in terms of developing driverless tech. While some are wary of entering the industry as a driver, others are viewing it from the opposite side, hesitant to step into technology-based roles in case the industry doesn’t come into fruition.

This is leaving the industry with an all-around shortage, and it may explain why the vision of a driverless future hasn’t taken off. In short, the industry is in desperate need of a recruitment-driven rebrand that attracts skilled drivers, engineers and startups to help transition us from one era to the next.

The Reality

We often fall into the trap of assuming that automation and robotics replace human jobs. The reality is that advances in technology often create new jobs and opportunities. If we are to achieve a driverless future, we’ll still need humans for quality assurance, legislation, maintenance and decision making.

Who Can Actually Build ‘Driverless’?

To bring the vision of driverless freight to life, it will require a first mover to prove that the vision is actually achievable. Often, this responsibility falls to a billion-dollar company to fund the research & development, infrastructure and marketing. Until we reach that point, driverless freight is likely to be beyond the reach of small businesses, which ultimately delays driverless freight from becoming the new normal.

Signs of Progress

On the subject of driverless becoming the new normal, it is positive to see signs of progress. Visible progress includes the driverless cabs that are becoming increasingly normal in places like Las Vegas. Obviously, driverless freight comes with far more complexity, but it does at least stress that society’s confidence in driverless vehicles is on the up.

Final Thoughts

It doesn’t seem to be a question of if we will adopt driverless transport, but more a question of when. And we are certainly moving towards this, albeit slowly. With the likes of Tesla ploughing millions into driverless cars and driverless trains becoming increasingly common in some parts of the world, surely it’s only a matter of time until driverless freight becomes the new norm.

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The Hidden Logistics of Christmas: How the UK Moves Millions of Parcels, Turkeys and Trees

Paul Francis
Dec 10, 2025
3 min read

Christmas looks and feels magical, but it is also one of the UK’s most complex annual operations. Behind the lights and wrapping paper sits a vast network of people, vehicles, warehouses, farms, shops and delivery routes that must run with near-perfect timing.

Delivery worker in red hat and mask loads cardboard boxes into a van. The sun shines through trees in the background.

Every December, the country asks the same question in different forms: can everything arrive when it is meant to? Presents, food, trees, nappies, batteries, pets’ treats, party outfits, last-minute gifts, and the one ingredient someone forgot. Modern Christmas depends on logistics.

Christmas begins months before December

For retailers and delivery networks, Christmas is not a late November surprise. Planning often starts in spring and summer. Stock must be forecast. Warehouses prepare for peak volume. Seasonal staff recruitment ramps up. Routes are planned. Contingencies are made for weather disruption.

Christmas is a controlled surge. When it goes wrong, it is rarely because people forgot it was coming. It is usually because the surge is so large that small problems become bigger quickly.

Parcels: the modern festive bloodstream

Online shopping has made parcels the heartbeat of December. The physical act of Christmas has shifted from walking down a high street to clicking. That convenience creates one massive consequence: millions of deliveries concentrated into a short window.

The delivery challenge has three main pressure points:

Volume: more parcels than usual, often dramatically more
Time sensitivity: people want items before Christmas, not after
Complexity: returns, missed deliveries, address problems, porch theft

Even if a company has enough vans, it still needs enough warehouse capacity, scanning equipment, stack organisation, route optimisation and customer service.

White van decorated with Christmas garlands, parked on cobblestone. Person in red coat holding gift near scattered ornaments. Festive mood.

Food: precision under pressure

The UK’s Christmas food supply chain is not just a rush; it is a balancing act. Supermarkets must ensure enough stock without waste. Turkeys, vegetables, desserts and party food must all land at the right time, at safe temperatures, in stores that can physically handle the footfall.

The seasonal food shopping pattern is predictable, which helps planners. But it can also cause local spikes. A sudden cold snap, heavy snow, or even a viral social media trend can shift demand and cause shortages of specific items.

Trees: a seasonal industry with sharp timing

Christmas trees have a narrow window of relevance and a very particular supply chain. Trees must be grown for years, cut, transported, stored, and sold in a short season.

Transport is a key part of this: trees are large, fragile, and do not stack like normal goods. They take up space in vans and storage areas, and they must stay looking fresh enough to sell.

The human side of the logistic miracle

Behind all of this are people working longer shifts in tighter timelines: warehouse staff, drivers, supermarket workers, farmers, seasonal temp staff, hospitality workers, and customer service teams handling the emotional intensity of “it must arrive in time”.

Christmas logistics involves not just more work, but different work. The margin for error becomes smaller because the emotional stakes feel bigger. A late delivery in March is annoying. A late delivery on 23 December can feel like a catastrophe.

The weak points that cause the biggest disruption

When Christmas disruption hits, it typically comes from a few repeat issues:

Weather that slows road travel
Driver shortages or illness waves
Warehouse bottlenecks
Increased returns and delivery reattempts
Supply chain delays upstream

Most people experience this as a missing parcel or empty shelf, but it reflects a complex chain where one delay can echo across the system.

The hidden truth of modern Christmas is that it depends on coordination. The season is not just family and tradition, it is also routing software, chilled transport, warehouse layouts, staffing plans and timing.

The magic is real, but it is built. And every year, the UK quietly performs one of its biggest logistical feats, so that the country can unwrap it on time.