HGV Networking Group: strong leadership will aid hauliers’ survival
Haulage companies with strong, professional leadership are the likeliest to survive beyond 2026, according to Peter McKenna, the founder of UK-wide driver-led platform HGV Networking Group.
The organisation works across the road transport industry, government and enforcement bodies to help drive improved standards. Peter’s work focuses on driver wellbeing, staff retention, safety culture and practical leadership.
“Many transport managers are operationally excellent, promoted for technical competence rather than people leadership,” said Peter.
“The result is a leadership gap that emerges quickly – and costs dearly.
“HGV drivers are trusted with assets worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, operating in complex, time-pressured environments. In many cases, they are also the only human contact a customer has with a haulage business. Yet the systems supporting drivers often lag far behind the reality of what the job demands.
“While recruitment challenges dominate industry headlines, driver retention remains the deeper and more damaging problem.
“For years, the industry response has focused on licences, training pipelines and financial incentives. These all matter. However, they miss a central truth consistently reported by drivers: people do not leave haulage because they cannot drive – they leave because they do not feel valued, listened to or supported.”
The operators most likely to succeed beyond 2026 will not simply be those with the newest fleets or the tightest margins, Peter contends – rather, they will be the ones with strong, consistent leadership, designing systems around the needs of drivers, not just vehicle utilisation.
“Effective leaders actively seek driver input, recognising that those closest to the work often have the clearest insight into improving operations. When driver feedback leads to practical change, the benefits are felt internally and externally – through improved service consistency, safety and professionalism.”
He continued: “In many sectors, employees are described as a company’s greatest asset. In haulage, drivers are still too often treated as a variable cost to be managed down.
“That mindset quietly shapes behaviour. Communication becomes instruction-based rather than collaborative. Health, fatigue and personal pressures are handled poorly. The outcome is predictable: increased absence, disengagement and high driver turnover.”
Good leadership in transport is visible in practical, everyday behaviours, says Peter – namely clear, respectful communication; psychological safety, where drivers can raise concerns without fear; early intervention rather than crisis management; and fair and predictable decision-making.
“Organisations with professional leadership reduce operational risk, improve performance and stabilise their workforce.”
While driver wellbeing is often framed as a moral issue, says Peter, it is also a critical safety control.
“Fatigue, unmanaged health issues and cognitive overload rarely present neatly. Instead, they surface as missed information, poor judgement and reduced situational awareness – increasing the risk of accidents, incidents and bridge strikes.
“Progressive operators recognise the value of proactive health checks, clear escalation routes for fatigue concerns, and practical support for driver welfare. In short, they support drivers as human beings, not just licence holders.
“These measures cost far less than recruitment, incident recovery or reputational damage, and their impact on retention is significant.”
