UK business births: transportation and storage
UK business births: transportation and storage stood at 5,210 Businesses in Q2 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Business births, deaths and companies table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2017 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Business births, deaths and companies table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business births by industry | |||||||||||
| Transportation and storage | 5,210 | 5,690 | 5,640 | 5,195 | 5,130 | 6,420 | 4,895 | 5,270 | 4,940 | 6,340 | |
| Information and communication | 6,015 | 5,585 | 5,195 | 5,165 | 5,475 | 5,775 | 4,490 | 5,155 | 5,685 | 5,790 |
Understanding UK business births: transportation and storage
Newly created enterprises specialising in logistics, haulage, freight handling, warehousing, and passenger transport operating within the United Kingdom are tallied within this data series. The metric captures start-ups meeting administrative thresholds for value added tax or employer schemes within the logistics sphere, while omitting sole traders operating entirely below these revenue lines. This industry-specific tally separates logistics dynamics from broader commercial trends, contrasting with retail or manufacturing counts by highlighting supply chain and mobility start-up rates.
Evaluating these figures demands caution regarding regulatory shifts specific to haulage licensing and fuel market volatility that can abruptly alter incorporation incentives. Early period estimates frequently face downward or upward adjustments as administrative data catches up with operational realities. Analysts should rely on matching quarters from previous years to assess genuine momentum rather than relying on sequential period comparisons which distort underlying signals. Aligning this transport-specific measure with economy-wide births clarifies whether logistics entrepreneurship is leading or lagging the broader economic cycle.
Frequently asked questions
- What activities fall under the transport and storage birth category?
- The grouping includes freight transport, warehousing, courier services, and passenger transit businesses meeting statutory registration thresholds.
- Why might transport start-up counts diverge from general economic trends?
- Shifts in fuel costs, vehicle regulations, and warehousing demand uniquely influence the creation of logistics enterprises.
- Are owner-driver couriers without employees counted in this series?
- They appear only if their turnover crosses the statutory registration boundary for taxation purposes.