50 - WATER TRANSPORT Companies in United Kingdom
Approximately 13,845 real businesses classified under 50 - Water transport in United Kingdom, with officer, shareholder and beneficial ownership records sourced directly from official government registries.
Approximately 13,845 real businesses classified under 50 - Water transport operate in United Kingdom. Covers companies officially classified under UK SIC 2007 code 50 (Water transport), part of United Kingdom's UK SIC 2007 classification of economic activities. This division is one of the sub-sectors making up the broader Transportation and Storage sector. Ownership, beneficial-ownership disclosure and company-registration rules for businesses under this specific activity code follow the same general framework that applies across Transportation and Storage in United Kingdom.
20 companies under this specific code 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 50 - Water transport 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. 558 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
363,541 companies
Water transport
13,845 companies
Air transport
14,617 companies
Warehousing and support activities for transportation
142,702 companies
Postal and courier activities
53,312 companies
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many companies are classified under 50 - Water transport in United Kingdom?
Approximately 13,845 businesses are classified under 50 - Water transport in United Kingdom.
What does UK SIC 2007 code 50 cover?
50 - Water transport is the official name for this activity under United Kingdom's UK SIC 2007 classification of economic activities. It is a sub-category within the broader Transportation and Storage sector.
How is this different from the broader Transportation and Storage category?
Transportation and Storage is the top-level sector; UK SIC 2007 code 50 identifies one specific activity within it, letting you narrow a search to exactly this business type rather than the whole sector.
What ownership information is available for these companies?
The same beneficial-ownership, shareholder and officer disclosure framework applies as for any other company in United Kingdom, regardless of its specific activity classification. See the individual company profile for the full ownership picture, or the Transportation and Storage sector overview for the general national framework.
All industries in United Kingdom
Every NACE section on this register, with live company counts.