September - 9 months in
Nine Months In – And Transport Isn’t Standing Still
September 2026 marks nine months since I launched Karen Ellis Consulting Ltd.
And what a nine months it has been.
When I started KEC Ltd in January, the aim was quite simple – use the experience I’d built up over many years in transport, recovery, control rooms and network management to help businesses become better connected, better organised and ultimately more profitable.
Nine months later, I’m working with operators of all different sizes across the UK, and one thing has become very clear:
The work is still out there – but the expectation of the companies awarding that work is getting higher.
Compliance is becoming just as important as having the truck
One of the biggest themes I’m seeing in 2026 is compliance.
It isn’t enough anymore to own a recovery truck, have insurance and be available for work.
Operators are increasingly expected to be able to demonstrate how their business is managed – maintenance records, driver checks, training, vehicle compliance, operating licences, tachograph records where applicable and documented processes.
That direction is also coming from the regulators.
DVSA updated its Operator Compliance Audit guidance in August, reinforcing the requirement for licence holders to have proper systems in place for the safe and legal operation of their vehicles. Recent Traffic Commissioner decisions have also shown how seriously poor maintenance, missing records, financial standing and tachograph breaches can be treated. (GOV.UK)
For smaller recovery and transport businesses, that shouldn’t be frightening.
It just means running the business professionally behind the scenes as well as professionally at the roadside.
The 3.5 tonne world is changing too
There has traditionally been a feeling that smaller transporters sit outside a lot of the regulation affecting HGV operators.
That assumption is becoming increasingly dangerous.
From 1 July 2026, drivers’ hours rules were extended to certain goods vehicles above 2.5 tonnes being used for international transport operations. For international hire-and-reward journeys, vehicles over 2.5 tonnes can now require a Smart Tachograph 2. (GOV.UK)
For a business considering European vehicle movements, this is exactly why I keep saying:
Check before you accept the work.
The fact that a vehicle is below 3.5 tonnes does not automatically mean there are no operator, tachograph or drivers’ hours considerations.
EV is no longer something to deal with “later”
Another huge change is electric vehicles.
The volume of EVs on UK roads continues to change what recovery and transport operators need from their drivers, equipment and training.
From my perspective, EV Level 1 & 2 training is quickly becoming something every progressive recovery business should be considering.
Whether you are recovering a damaged EV, transporting one from an incident or dealing with it in a storage environment, your team needs to understand the additional risks.
The wider transport sector is moving the same way.
Government announced £1 billion of support this year for zero-emission vans, trucks and depot charging infrastructure, including grants towards electric commercial vehicles and significant support towards depot charging installations. (GOV.UK)
So EV knowledge is not going backwards.
If anything, it will become increasingly relevant when companies decide who they want representing their brand at the roadside.
PAS43, HIAB and specialist training are becoming commercial advantages
Something else I’ve seen repeatedly during my first nine months is that training isn’t simply about ticking a compliance box.
It can help operators win work.
PAS43 readiness, EV training, accredited HIAB training such as ALLMI and having documented processes behind the business can immediately differentiate one operator from another.
This is particularly important when businesses are competing for work from insurers, assistance companies, fleet organisations, accident management businesses and larger transport networks.
Two companies may own similar trucks.
The difference can be that one can demonstrate its competence and the other cannot.
That is why a growing part of my work with clients isn’t simply finding opportunities.
It is helping them become the type of operator that companies actually want to give those opportunities to.
Technology and control rooms are changing the expectation too
Another big shift has been how much information clients and work providers expect to see.
Live job updates.
Accurate ETAs.
Photographs.
Vehicle condition information.
Correct invoicing.
Performance data.
Electronic job allocation.
And somebody answering the phone when the job doesn’t go to plan.
For smaller businesses this can be difficult because you can’t simultaneously drive a truck, answer every call, manage drivers, invoice customers and monitor a control room.
This is why I believe outsourced control-room support and better use of systems such as APEX will continue to grow.
A business doesn’t necessarily need another full-time employee.
Sometimes it needs the right systems, the right processes and the right external support.
Costs remain a massive issue
There is another change coming that transport businesses need to factor into rates.
The temporary fuel-duty reduction begins to unwind from 1 September 2026, with duty increasing by 1p per litre, followed by another 2p per litre from 1 December 2026 and a further 2p from March 2027. (GOV.UK)
One penny might not sound significant.
Across multiple vehicles doing thousands of miles, everything adds up.
Fuel, insurance, wages, vehicle finance, maintenance, training and compliance all have to be paid for.
So one of my messages to transport operators for the remainder of 2026 is:
Know what your trucks actually cost to run.
Turnover is great.
Busy trucks are great.
But neither automatically means you are making money.
Sometimes the job you are proud to have won is the job losing you money every mile.
Employment changes are coming too
Businesses employing drivers and control-room staff also need to keep an eye on employment law.
A number of reforms have already started taking effect during 2026, with further Employment Rights Act changes scheduled from October onwards.
Among the changes, the normal time limit for bringing many Employment Tribunal claims increases from three months to six months from 1 October 2026, alongside further workplace and trade union reforms later in October. (GOV.UK)
For growing transport businesses, HR and employment documentation cannot be an afterthought.
As your fleet grows, the business behind the fleet needs to grow with it.
So what do I think the remainder of 2026 looks like?
I think we are going to see an increasing divide.
There will be operators who simply wait for the phone to ring.
And there will be operators who prepare themselves for the work they want.
Those businesses will be looking at:
O Licence compliance.
PAS43.
EV Level 1 & 2.
ALLMI accredited HIAB training.
Driver and vehicle documentation.
Better control-room systems.
APEX implementation.
ISO 9001 and documented processes.
Accurate operating costs.
New networks and work providers.
And training their people properly.
Those are the companies I want to work with.
You don’t necessarily need all of those things today.
Part of my role is identifying what you already have, what you’re missing and what needs to happen next.
And for KEC Ltd?
Nine months ago I started with an idea of using my network and experience to help transport and recovery businesses differently.
Since then KEC Ltd has developed into far more than introductions.
I now work across network development, APEX training and implementation, control-room support, PAS43 preparation, accredited training introductions, O Licence support, compliance, tenders, operational reviews and business development.
And probably the part I enjoy most is seeing a company I have worked with become stronger, more professional and then start gaining access to work they previously couldn’t reach.
There is plenty more planned before the end of 2026.
If you’re a recovery or transport operator and you’re thinking:
“I know where I want my business to be, but I’m not quite sure how to get there.”
That’s probably exactly the conversation we should be having.
Karen Ellis Consulting Ltd
Helping transport and recovery businesses become compliant, connected and ready for opportunity.
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