The nine-month project, led by Voltempo with Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks, identifies two priority use cases for early deployment: hub-to-hub motorway trunking between logistics centres, and short intermodal shuttle operations linking ports, railheads and distribution hubs. The findings were presented at Voltempo’s Autonomous conference in Birmingham on 18 May, attended by fleet operators, OEMs, government representatives and technology providers. According to the consortium, these two use cases offer the clearest starting point because the routes are predictable, the interfaces at either end can be controlled, and the operational benefits can be measured more easily than in open-ended delivery work. The report argues that autonomous freight will not arrive evenly across the road transport sector. Instead, it is expected to start where operational complexity is lowest and the business case is strongest. For hub-to-hub trunking, that means repeatable routes on the Strategic Road Network between major logistics hubs. For intermodal shuttles, it means high-frequency, low-speed movements, typically under 5 kilometres, between ports, railheads, inland terminals and nearby distribution sites. Urban deliveries were considered less suitable for early deployment because of the complexity of city traffic, kerbside restrictions and interactions with vulnerable road users. The report says private-site operations in ports, airports, yards and industrial campuses already provide the strongest UK evidence base, as autonomous vehicles can operate under site rules, controlled interfaces and dedicated connectivity. Trials targeted from 2027 The consortium says the next phase should move from feasibility work towards structured real-world deployment trials, with UK autonomous freight trials targeted from 2027 onwards. The report says early trials should not treat autonomy simply as a vehicle upgrade. Instead, they would need full operating models covering remote supervision, handovers, exception handling, maintenance, emergency response, incident reporting and data access. It also calls for trial consortia involving fleet operators, shippers,