Road Transport & Logistics

Road haulage, freight, logistics and automotive companies operate in a disrupted market. With constantly evolving legal and regulatory demands, having expert legal counsel who understand these regulations and who can operate across borders, can be vital for overcoming challenges.

The transport sector is being impacted significantly by the global Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit in the UK and Europe – and over the longer term, technological advancements.

Covid-19 has forced governments around the world to restrict the movement of goods. There has also been a rise in claims on occupational disease and the performance of transport contracts. Brexit has also created challenges within road transport and logistics around border controls – plus, driver shortages and the pressure on operators to decrease environmental impact continues to grow.

The influence of technology is also disrupting the sector. Greener fuels are becoming increasingly competitive and data analytics and artificial intelligence continue to drive integration and efficiency across logistics and supply chains.

Despite this disruption, the longer-term picture is one of growth and we are seeing our clients continually looking to expand operations across borders.

DWF's road transport and logistics team provides a breadth of legal services for public service vehicle and heavy goods vehicle operators, from international transport businesses, to retailers, construction companies and utilities organisations across the world.

Our full service regulatory team has a detailed knowledge of the road transport and logistics sector, so you can count on a high level of expertise with your case. In addition, our team will support clients through everything from compliance and investigations, to operator licensing, health and safety, litigation, arbitration and criminal law.

We can also advise on high profile global CMR (Carriage of Goods by Road) cases, conflicts of law, jurisdiction and forum shopping. What’s more, our extensive understanding of the operational challenges facing the sector also means we provide insurance, as well as claims representation and advice to some of the world's largest operators. We are also able to offer end-to-end advice for operators looking to set up transport hubs in additional jurisdictions and we can offer a ‘Crisis Response’ service.

Our specialists act for many of the world's leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers, providing advice in areas including:

Litigation and dispute resolution
Product liability and product recall
Asset finance
State aid, antitrust and competition
Leasing and charter of assets
Insolvency
Repossession and restructuring
Insurance and claims handling
Technology, intellectual property and protection of innovation
Mergers and acquisitions

Locate your logistics in the UK

If you are an international logistics business or fleet operator looking to set up in the UK, DWF can support you through the whole process. To make things simple we’ve brought all the advice you need together in one place.