Why Every Logistics Professional Should Attend Multimodal 2026 at NEC Birmingham

The UK Haulage Sector Is Under More Pressure Than Ever. That’s Exactly Why You Should Be at the NEC This Summer.

The numbers tell a stark story. The UK has lost nearly 12,200 UK-born HGV drivers in the past year alone. Average haulage profit margins sit at roughly 2%. The number of operator licences has dropped 12.4% over the past decade, even as surviving businesses absorb more vehicles per licence.

Against that backdrop, spending three days away from the yard might seem like a luxury. It isn’t. Multimodal 2026-running 30 June to 2 July at NEC Birmingham-is one of the few places where the commercial, operational, and regulatory pressures bearing down on UK haulage all converge under one roof. And it’s free to attend.

Here’s why it deserves a place in your calendar.

Three Days, 300+ Exhibitors, and a Conference Programme That Actually Matters

Multimodal isn’t a sales pitch disguised as an exhibition. It is the UK’s principal event for the freight, logistics, and supply chain community, with more than 13,500 professionals walking the halls in 2025 and an even larger turnout expected in 2026.

The exhibition floor spans over 300 exhibitors-covering everything from route optimisation software to last-mile fulfilment, from multimodal freight solutions to fleet compliance tooling. But the real value often sits in the conference programme: 80+ free sessions across four dedicated theatres, with speakers drawn from Logistics UK, the Road Haulage Association, BIFA, UKWA, and CILT.

This year’s confirmed themes include:

• AI in logistics operations – not the hype cycle, but genuine operational applications. Samantha Brocklehurst from NovaChain will be presenting on where AI delivers real efficiency versus where it is still marketing theatre.
• Decarbonisation strategies for fleets – Chris Ashley from the RHA is sharing front-line lessons from operators already making the transition.
• Customs and cross-border compliance – With CBAM, EUDR obligations, and digital product passports reshaping European trade, Nico Collart and Nico Urien from Customs Support Group will walk through the new regulatory landscape.
• Workforce wellbeing – Mark Murray from Whysup is leading a session on the human cost of operational pressure in transport-a conversation that’s long overdue.
• Supply chain resilience and risk – Lyall Cresswell from TEG and Caroline Chester from Shoosmiths will cover operational trust and contract structures in an increasingly volatile environment.

For a haulage operator, this isn’t abstract conference content. These are the exact pressures you’re managing every week.

The Industry Challenges Driving Attendance

The Driver Crisis Hasn’t Gone Away

The UK needs to recruit 60,000 new HGV drivers every year for the next five years just to keep pace with retirements and departures. Fifty-five percent of current drivers are aged between 50 and 65. One hundred thousand drivers have let their Driver Qualification Cards lapse in the past year alone.

This isn’t a staffing inconvenience-it’s a structural threat to operational capacity. At Multimodal, you’ll find technology providers, training organisations, and workforce strategists all tackling different facets of the same problem. Walking the floor with a specific challenge in mind-whether that’s reducing your dependency on agency drivers or improving retention through better route planning-turns a general exhibition visit into a focused procurement exercise.

Margins Are Razor-Thin

At 2% average profit, there is zero room for operational waste. A single poorly planned route, an unnecessary empty running leg, or a missed compliance deadline can wipe out a week’s margin. The operators who are pulling ahead are doing so through marginal gains: tighter scheduling, better load consolidation, smarter subcontractor management.

Multimodal is where those marginal gains become visible. You can compare three route optimisation platforms in an afternoon. You can sit in a session on predictive maintenance and calculate the ROI against your own fleet data. You can talk to operators who’ve already made the switch from paper-based planning to digital TMS platforms and ask them, honestly, whether it delivered.

Regulation Is Accelerating

From 1 July 2026 – the day after Multimodal opens – all goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used for international transport will require Smart Tachograph Version 2. The UK government’s consultation on a new HGV CO₂ emissions regulatory framework closed in March 2026, and the outcomes will shape fleet purchasing decisions for the next decade. Electric van regulatory changes taking effect in June 2026 are removing HGV testing requirements for vehicles between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes, opening new options for mixed fleets.

Arriving at Multimodal with these regulatory shifts front of mind and leaving with a clearer understanding of what they mean for your fleet is worth the trip alone.

What Leading Operators Are Doing Differently

The gap between high-performing and struggling haulage businesses is widening, and it isn’t just about fleet size.

Operators who are thriving tend to share a few characteristics:

• They’ve digitised planning. Not everything, but the critical path – job allocation, route planning, driver scheduling, POD capture. They’ve moved past spreadsheets and whiteboards, not because technology is fashionable, but because manual processes don’t scale and they leak margin.
• They treat compliance as a competitive advantage. Rather than scrambling before audits, they run continuous compliance workflows – earning matrix, tachograph analysis, vehicle maintenance scheduling – that reduce risk and improve their standing with customers who care about FORS accreditation and operator licence health.
• They use data to negotiate. Real-time cost-per-mile figures, fuel consumption analytics, and subcontractor performance data give them leverage in rate negotiations that operators relying on gut feel simply don’t have.
• They invest in driver experience. Better route planning that avoids unnecessary waiting time. Clearer communication through driver apps. Fairer workload distribution. These aren’t perks – they’re retention strategies in a market where every lost driver costs thousands to replace.

You’ll meet these operators at Multimodal. More importantly, you’ll meet the suppliers and consultants helping them get there.

How Modern TMS Platforms Are Changing Operations

The Transport Management System market has evolved significantly. What was once a back-office scheduling tool is now the operational backbone of forward-thinking haulage businesses.

Modern TMS platforms handle job management, route optimisation, real-time tracking, driver communication, subcontractor allocation, invoicing, and compliance documentation in a single integrated environment. The shift from fragmented tools-a spreadsheet here, a phone call there, a paper POD somewhere in the cab-to a unified digital workflow has a direct impact on margin, capacity, and customer satisfaction.

At Multimodal 2026, you’ll see this evolution on display. HaulierMagic, for instance, is one of the TMS platforms built specifically for UK haulage operators – not retrofitted from warehouse management or adapted from courier logistics. Purpose-built means the workflows match how haulage businesses actually operate: complex multi-drop routes, subcontractor management, real-time driver tracking, and paperless POD capture that syncs back to the office before the driver has left the delivery bay.

The point isn’t to pick a platform at an exhibition. It’s to understand what’s possible, benchmark your current operations against best practice, and have honest conversations with providers who understand your world.

Getting the Most from Your Visit

Three days is a lot of ground to cover. A few practical suggestions:

• Register early. Multimodal is free to attend, but pre-registration gives you access to the full conference programme and session booking.
• Plan your route through the floor. Review the exhibitor list before you arrive. Identify the five to ten stands most relevant to your current challenges.
• Attend at least three conference sessions. The AI, decarbonisation, and workforce sessions are likely to be the most immediately actionable for haulage operators.
• Bring a specific problem. “We need to reduce empty running by 15%” is a better brief than “let’s see what’s new.” You’ll have better conversations and leave with clearer next steps.

Block time for co-located events. Warehouse & Yard and E-Delivery Expo run alongside Multimodal, and the Road Transport Expo at Stoneleigh Park offers shuttle access.

Looking Ahead: Why 2026 Is a Turning Point

The UK haulage sector is approaching what many industry leaders describe as a tipping point. The operators who invest in technology, workforce strategy, and operational efficiency now will be the ones still operating profitably in five years. Those who wait risk being squeezed out by rising costs, tightening regulation, and customers who increasingly expect digital transparency as standard.

Multimodal 2026 won’t solve all of those challenges in three days. But it will put you in the same room as the people, platforms, and ideas that can help you navigate them. In an industry where margins are measured in single digits and every operational decision carries financial weight, that’s time well spent.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Multimodal 2026?

Multimodal 2026 runs from 30 June to 2 July 2026 at Hall 4, NEC Birmingham. Opening hours are 10am–5pm on Tuesday, 10am–7pm on Wednesday, and 10am–3pm on Thursday.

Is Multimodal free to attend?

Yes. Multimodal is completely free to attend, including the full conference programme with 80+ sessions across four theatres. You need to register in advance online.

How many exhibitors will be at Multimodal 2026?

Over 300 exhibitors are expected, covering the full spectrum of freight, logistics, supply chain technology, and transport services.

What conference topics are covered at Multimodal 2026?

Key themes include AI in logistics, fleet decarbonisation, customs and cross-border compliance, supply chain resilience, workforce wellbeing, and the future of UK trade – delivered by speakers from the RHA, Logistics UK, BIFA, CILT, and leading industry practitioners.

Is Multimodal relevant for haulage operators specifically?

Absolutely. While Multimodal covers the entire supply chain, the conference programme and exhibitor base include significant representation from road haulage, fleet management, TMS providers, compliance technology, and driver workforce solutions.