With ticket registration opening today for the 2021 Commercial Vehicle Show, we take a closer look at how the road transport sector has been shouldering a heavy load for the last year, and why attendance for both exhibitors and visitors at the 2021 Commercial Vehicle Show is crucial.

Under a cloak of overnight deliveries, behind-the-scenes efforts and a ‘head-down, get-on-with-it’ culture, the operations and achievements of the road transport, cold chain storage and fleet management sectors have been obscured for far too long.

No one could have planned for the unprecedented challenges of dealing with a global health pandemic and the implications of the UK’s departure from the EU at the same time. Yet such conditions have brought spotlight recognition and praise to a deserving industry working hard in adversity.

This has brought together fleet management, supply chain management, cold chain storage, road haulage and mobility technologies. This momentous period in UK history has shown our industry’s courage and tireless dedication to keep essential supplies moving to the consumer.

Basking in the glow of this recognition, there’s been a step change and a period of reflection. Business owners are asking questions such as ‘What now should be the priority?’ and ‘ What challenges will we face and how will this impact our bottom lines?’ In a rapidly evolving sector, the 2021 Commercial Vehicle Show is set to be the most important industry event in recent history

Key trends such as electrification, digitalisation, automation, urbanisation and separation have been identified as policy makers aim to drive a reduction of carbon emissions. First- and last-mile delivery solutions continue to grow and logistics companies negotiate the movement of goods to and from the continent now the UK is no longer in the EU.

The 2021 Commercial Vehicle Show is brought to exhibitors and visitors by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) , Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE). These advocates for the industry have been campaigning to ensure policy makers and the public are cognizant of challenges faced and to offer solutions that work for the industry.

In June, the enormous halls of the NEC will play host to hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors across three days in the first major road transport event for two years.

Visitors and exhibitors alike are encouraged to come and strategise for long-term growth and find out more about the innovations, technologies and opportunities to help your business operate more smoothly and improve profitability.

Reconnecting with existing suppliers and forging new future partnerships for the first time in two years will offer more positivity and possibilities than ever before.