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Haulage companies in Leeds

817 haulage companies have a registered office in Leeds, and 235 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £8,151 in cash and owed £12,099 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Freight transport by road” (SIC 49410).

The numbers

Haulage companies in Leeds compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLeedsUK
Registered companies81768,316
Formed in 2025 or 2026235 (29%)27%
Being struck off or in liquidation175 (21%)18%
Typical cash at year end£8,151128 accounts£8,909
Typical amount owed at year end£12,099336 accounts£10,608
Typical number of employees1355 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

15% of haulage companies in Leeds are currently being struck off, against 6.2% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 98% of UK industries.

Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical haulage company in Leeds holds £8,151 in cash and owes £12,099; that cash figure is lower than 88% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical haulage company in Leeds reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (355 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Planning a business like this in Leeds?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Haulage in other places

Other businesses in Leeds

All business benchmarks in Leeds