The UK’s light haulage fleet needs to grow by more than half within the next 18 months to keep pace with freight now arriving directly through the country’s container ports, according to Department for Transport projections. Freight Base, a new online marketplace connecting freight forwarders with vetted carriers, has launched to help meet that demand. It offers free and unlimited job posting, competitive quoting, and a route-matching tool designed to cut the empty running that erodes carriers’ margins.
Changing freight patterns drive demand
Since Brexit, container traffic that once moved through Rotterdam and Antwerp before onward distribution around the UK has shifted to arrive directly at British ports. Southampton, Felixstowe, Immingham, Middlesbrough and Liverpool all have been upgraded to handle it. Also, a new wave of inland rail-served container ports including Wakefield and Northampton. That shift has moved the industry away from the traditional hub-and-spoke model toward direct van delivery from port to door. It drives demand for the light-haulage capacity that Freight Base is designed to supply.
Freight forwarders and other organisations needing goods moved can post as many jobs as they need on Freight Base without a subscription or posting fee. They then compare quotes from screened carriers before choosing who to book. Vehicle and service ratings are visible before a quote is accepted. At the same time, a carrier’s identity stays private until then. A route-matching feature also notifies carriers of suitable loads along a planned journey or near their destination. This helps arrange backloads in advance rather than driving home empty.
Early feedback from carriers and freight professionals invited to review the platform has highlighted how clean, clear and intuitive it is to use. Reviewers have also noted that its wider functionality gives it the feel of a practical fleet-management tool.
Building trust into the platform
Every carrier is checked before their account goes live. Verification of insurance, licences, proof of address, photo identification and right to work in the UK are checked. Following this, ongoing monitoring of document renewals and random account spot checks are carried out. Job listings can specify requirements such as temperature control, a tail lift, curtain sides, forklift access or ADR capability. The five-star feedback lets forwarders weigh service quality alongside price. Once a quote is accepted, both parties receive a confirmation email prompting them to verify job-critical details before the job goes ahead.
“Freight forwarders need a simpler way to reach quality carriers without eroding already tight margins,” said Ian Nilsson-Forrest, Co-Founder and Director of Operations at Freight Base. “Ensuring a high level of trust between forwarders and carrier members is at the heart of what we do. That’s the only way we can all flourish in a rapidly changing market, alongside rising overheads.”
Keeping costs under control
Freight forwarders can join and post jobs on Freight Base free of charge, with no monthly limit. Freight Base offers carriers a low monthly fee and charges them only for the work they undertake through the platform.
“In an industry where freight forwarders often operate on very tight margins, the ability to post jobs on Freight Base for free is a game-changer,” said Andrew Littlewood of Go 2Day Limited, one of the carriers already signed up to the platform. “It supports the bottom line by helping forwarders streamline operations without increasing overheads.”
More than 200 carriers from established UK courier networks are already joining Freight Base ahead of launch. Senior members of those groups have advised on the platform’s development. Freight Base is initially focused on UK same-day courier and light-haulage work. Future phases are expected to extend into refrigerated, chilled and frozen goods, ADR movements, specialist vehicles and other specialist requirements.
