Delivery and logistics firm M&H Carriers has reported a year of growth and record volumes against a backdrop of mounting government pressure, rising operating costs and increasing regulatory demands.
MD Fraser MacLean said the past 12 months had underscored the ‘scale of pressure facing operators across the sector, particularly around compliance, cost control and service continuity’.
Now employing almost 500 staff, the business has continued to expand its network during 2025, strengthening its presence across Scotland and extending operations further east with the launch of delivery services in Fife.
“There have definitely been moments this year where it felt like everything was stacking up,” he said.
“We even had one of our new vans arrive with a number plate reading ‘FFS’, which gave us a laugh, but it probably summed up how a lot of business owners are feeling right now.”
Fraser MacLean said maintaining service levels while absorbing cost increases and regulatory requirements had been a constant challenge, reflecting wider concerns among UK hauliers and logistics providers.
Despite this, M&H Carriers reported strong operational performance across its network. The company said its membership of the Pallet Track network continued to play a key role in supporting time-critical deliveries while keeping internal trunking operations running efficiently, particularly across long-distance and remote routes in the Highlands.
Depot performance improved significantly at several locations. At Oban, average daily parcel volumes increased from around 1,300 to approximately 2,500, while the Perth operation expanded its in-house trunking function to 12 nightly trunk runs. The move has given the business greater control over overnight freight movements between depots and trunking services to the Midlands.
Peak trading in November and December delivered record volumes across the network, with some depots handling double their previous highest throughput, according to the company, placing additional pressure on fleet, workforce planning and depot operations.
Alongside operational growth, M&H Carriers was recognised at the Scottish Impact Awards 2025, winning the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award in the 250+ employees category.
Looking ahead, he said the focus for 2026 would remain on workforce stability, operational resilience and maintaining service standards as cost pressures and regulatory demands continue.
He said: “Our teams are the reason the business keeps moving forward.
“They’ve had to adapt quickly and deliver under pressure, and that’s going to remain critical as we head into next year.”
