United Kingdom TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS Companies
Approximately 552,638 real businesses classified under Transportation and Storage in United Kingdom, with officer, shareholder and beneficial ownership records sourced directly from official government registries.
Approximately 552,638 real businesses operate in the Transportation and Storage sector across United Kingdom. A shipping line rarely operates under one legal entity per country — it operates through a network of local agency and subsidiary structures, because freight is inherently cross-border and the paperwork follows the cargo. Road, rail, air, and sea transport, plus logistics, warehousing, and courier services, all carry this same structural feature: the entity issuing the invoice and the entity holding the assets are frequently two different companies in two different jurisdictions.
272 companies in this sector are indexed on Zavia so far, part of a continually growing dataset.
Beneficial-ownership and registration rules for Transportation and Storage companies in United Kingdom follow the same national framework as every other sector there.
Full United Kingdom beneficial ownership overviewTop Transportation and Storage Companies in United Kingdom
Live from the register. Every row opens the full record — officers, shareholders and resolved group structure.
Data Coverage
Record counts for SIC Code H in United Kingdom, as of the last reconciliation.
Section H is 4% of the United Kingdom register by entity count and its 11th largest sector — see all sectors.
Analysis
What this data actually tells you
Transportation and Storage in the UK is licensed activity distinct from company registration. Operating goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes for hire or reward requires an operator’s licence granted by a Traffic Commissioner for the relevant traffic area, conditional on satisfying five separate tests: good repute, financial standing, professional competence, a fixed establishment, and an approved operating centre. DVSA application fees run £257 to apply plus £401 to grant, with processing typically taking seven to nine weeks.
The licence itself comes in three tiers — restricted, standard national or standard international — which determine what work is permitted and whether a CPC-qualified Transport Manager must be named on the licence. For verification, a UK haulier’s company registration says nothing about its actual authority to operate: that sits with the Traffic Commissioner and DVSA, and confirming both the licence’s existence and its category is necessary to know what the operator is actually allowed to do.
United Kingdom Transportation and Storage, by the register
Charts render from live counts. Modules are suppressed where coverage is too thin to be meaningful.
Entities by sub-sector
SIC division level, live from official registries.
Active vs. inactive
Section H entities currently on the register as active, vs. struck off or dormant.
Company size, by disclosed headcount
By number of employees on file, Section H, United Kingdom. 557 entities with no disclosed headcount are not counted in any band.
Who uses United Kingdom transportation and storage ownership data
The three checks this sector's data is most often run for.
Operator’s licence (O-licence) verification
Running goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes for hire or reward requires an operator’s licence granted by a Traffic Commissioner, conditional on passing five tests — good repute, financial standing, professional competence, a fixed establishment, and an approved operating centre. A registered haulage company without a current O-licence isn’t legally allowed to operate.
Licence category and transport-manager check
O-licences come in restricted, standard national or standard international categories, each controlling what work is permitted and whether a CPC-qualified Transport Manager must be in place — confirming which category a haulier actually holds is a separate check from its company registration.
Fleet-financing and asset-backed lending
Transport companies’ core assets are typically financed vehicles rather than owned outright, so lenders and counterparties assessing exposure in the sector typically look past the balance sheet to who actually holds title to the fleet.
Sub-sectors within Transportation and Storage
SIC divisions inside this section, each with its own United Kingdom company directory.
Land transport and transport via pipelines
363,460 companies
Water transport
13,845 companies
Air transport
14,616 companies
Warehousing and support activities for transportation
142,668 companies
Postal and courier activities
53,291 companies
Get complete shareholder and officer records, ultimate beneficial owner resolution, and ongoing ownership monitoring for United Kingdom companies — via API or a bulk data feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Transportation and Storage companies are registered in United Kingdom?
Approximately 552,638 real businesses operate under Transportation and Storage in United Kingdom.
What does the Transportation and Storage sector include in United Kingdom?
A shipping line rarely operates under one legal entity per country — it operates through a network of local agency and subsidiary structures, because freight is inherently cross-border and the paperwork follows the cargo. Road, rail, air, and sea transport, plus logistics, warehousing, and courier services, all carry this same structural feature: the entity issuing the invoice and the entity holding the assets are frequently two different companies in two different jurisdictions.
How is company ownership disclosed for Transportation and Storage companies in United Kingdom?
The same national framework applies here as for every other sector in United Kingdom — there is no sector-specific beneficial-ownership regime for Transportation and Storage.
Can I see all industries present in United Kingdom?
Yes — the United Kingdom company directory lists every industry with recorded companies for that jurisdiction, alongside the full beneficial-ownership overview for United Kingdom.
Can I see Transportation and Storage companies in other countries?
Yes — the Transportation and Storage sector directory lists every country with recorded Transportation and Storage companies on Zavia.
Can Zavia monitor changes to Transportation and Storage companies in United Kingdom over time?
A directory listing is a snapshot, not a live feed. Zavia's monitoring API tracks changes to registered shareholders, officers, and group structure for Transportation and Storage companies in United Kingdom going forward, flagging updates as they are filed instead of requiring a manual recheck.
All industries in United Kingdom
Every NACE section on this register, with live company counts.