A nine-month study into driverless heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) has identified hub-to-hub trunking and intermodal shuttle operations as the most viable starting points for early UK deployment. The findings from eFreight Autonomous were presented at Voltempo’s Autonomous conference in Birmingham, which brought together fleet operators, OEMs, Government representatives and technology providers to discuss the future of autonomous freight in the UK. Ensure you always get Fleet News insight. Make us your preferred source on Google Led by Voltempo alongside Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks, the eFreight Autonomous consortium secured funding in 2025, through the UK Government-backed CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies competition delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic. Since the project launched last year, it has carried out workshops, seminars and customer visits with operators across the freight sector, while engaging with every major European truck manufacturer, alongside the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Business and Trade, Transport Scotland, Logistics UK, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The study concludes that autonomous freight is moving rapidly from pilot projects into early commercial operation internationally, while the UK is approaching a key legislative milestone through implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. Michael Boxwell, corporate development officer at Voltempo, said: “Over the past nine months, we’ve focused on understanding where autonomous freight can deliver genuine operational value for UK fleets and what conditions are needed to make deployment practical. “What’s become clear is that this is no longer a future concept. The technology, legislation and commercial interest are all moving forward quickly, and with continued grant funding available to support trials, the UK is ideally positioned to take advantage and lead from the front.” The report identifies two priority use cases for early deployment: hub-to-hub motorway trunking between logistics centres; and