SIC 49–53

Hauliers, logistics and passenger transport companies in the UK

Road hauliers, freight forwarders, warehousing and storage firms, couriers and parcel carriers, removal firms, and coach, bus, taxi and private hire operators: for commercial vehicle dealers, fleet insurers, telematics and software vendors and garages who want to reach transport businesses by post or plan a territory.

Our UK dataset holds 2 676 396 records (as at 4 novembre 2026); they are not yet assigned to industries. The quote states the size available for this industry.

Export of the whole industry: £309 (full price). Selections by nation, postcode area or your own filters are quoted on request.

Official statistics: 119 195 businesses in the UK according to ONS, UK business: activity, size and location 2026 (enterprises in March 2026, published 24 September 2026). Section H transportation and storage (divisions 49 to 53): land, water and air transport, warehousing and postal and courier activities (35,245). This is the size of the market, not the size of our dataset.

What counts as Transport and logistics

The industry corresponds to section H of UK SIC 2007, transportation and storage: land transport (49), water and air transport (50 and 51), warehousing and support activities for transportation (52) and postal and courier activities (53).

Freight forwarders are coded 52.29 (other transportation support activities), warehouses 52.10 and couriers 53.20, which the UK splits into licensed (53.20/1) and unlicensed carriers (53.20/2). Coach hire with driver is 49.39, a private hire car with driver 49.32.

UK SIC 2007Official titleFor your selection
49.32Taxi operationtaxi and private hire firms
49.39Other passenger land transport neccoach operators and coach hire
49.41Freight transport by roadhauliers
49.42Removal servicesremoval firms
52.10Warehousing and storagewarehouses and storage facilities
52.29Other transportation support activitiesfreight forwarders
53.20Other postal and courier activitiescouriers and parcel carriers

Operator licences: searchable by name, address or licence number

The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain are responsible for licensing those who operate heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches. Taxis and private hire are licensed locally.

Goods vehicles
A business needs a goods vehicle operator’s licence to carry goods in a lorry or van with a gross plated weight over 3,500 kg, among other cases (GOV.UK). Northern Ireland has its own rules.
Buses, coaches and minibuses
A PSV operator’s licence is needed to operate a vehicle for hire or reward that can carry nine or more passengers (GOV.UK). The Find lorry or bus operators service searches HGV and PSV operators by name, address or licence number.
Taxis and private hire
Private hire operators in England and Wales are licensed by the local council, or by Transport for London in London (GOV.UK); Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes.

Not in the export

  • fleet size and number of authorised vehicles
  • operator licence number and type
  • names of transport managers and planners
  • routes, depots and loading capacity
  • turnover and number of drivers

These 15 columns are included.

Haulier, forwarder or courier: the class decides

A forwarder with its own trucks can be in 49.41 or 52.29, depending on what predominates. If you are after fleet operators, ask for both classes and narrow the list by website.

For an owner-driver trading as a sole trader, the business address may well be the home address. Such details are personal data under UK GDPR, and emails to such a haulier need consent or a soft opt-in; a letter with the Art. 14 information is the safer first step.

Before calling depots and transport offices, screen every number against TPS and Corporate TPS (PECR reg. 21). Limited companies may be emailed without prior consent, provided you identify yourself and give an opt-out address (reg. 23).

Example request

Example request: we sell telematics for lorries and are looking for businesses in classes 49.41 and 52.29 in the East Midlands, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber with a website, for a postal mailing. How many records is that, and how current are the data?

Use cases

Who uses lists like this

Commercial vehicle dealers and garages

Fleet operators in a postcode area for field sales and a postal mailing.

Fleet insurance and leasing

Transport firms as a target group for fleet offers.

Telematics and TMS software

Gauge the market size per nation and class.

Shippers and manufacturers

Find regional hauliers and forwarders as partners.

Questions

Transport and logistics: frequently asked questions

Where a UK SIC code is available, coach hire, excursions and scheduled coach services are in 49.39 (other passenger land transport), local bus services in 49.31; taxi and private hire firms have their own class, 49.32. The quote says how cleanly the source separates them.

No. Fleet details belong to the operator licence, which you can look up operator by operator in the GOV.UK search. They are not a column in our export.

Yes, if the number is not on the TPS or Corporate TPS register and the business has not objected to your calls; you as the caller are responsible for screening. Automated recorded-message calls need prior consent, also to businesses (PECR reg. 19). Details: PECR rules for B2B email and calls.

119 195 businesses in the UK according to ONS, UK business: activity, size and location 2026 (enterprises in March 2026, published 24 September 2026). Section H transportation and storage (divisions 49 to 53): land, water and air transport, warehousing and postal and courier activities (35,245). This is a figure from official statistics, not the size of our dataset.

Format, sources, price and marketing law (PECR, TPS screening): questions about all industries.

Haulier, forwarder or courier?