Operation Brock is back in force on the M20 ahead of the Easter rush. And, once again, the industry is asking why this is still the plan.

The traffic management scheme, which queues HGVs heading for Dover and Eurotunnel along the motorway, will be deployed overnight on Wednesday 1 April. It is a familiar response to seasonal pressure at the Short Straits. It is also, according to Logistics UK, a sign of a much bigger problem.

The group says Operation Brock reflects a long-standing failure to deliver proper infrastructure for one of the UK’s most important freight routes.

James Mills, Head of Trade Policy at Logistics UK, did not soften the message.

“It is deeply frustrating to the dedicated logistics staff that keep the UK trading that the best solution to predictable seasonal peaks… remains to turn the M20 into a lorry park,” he said.

He added that drivers are often forced to wait for days, with limited facilities and poor conditions.

Pressure on a critical trade route

The scale of the issue is not exactly subtle. More than half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe pass through the Short Straits. Up to 16,000 freight vehicles move through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel every day.

That volume makes Operation Brock more than just an inconvenience. It turns it into a recurring bottleneck in a critical national supply chain.

Mills said: “HGV drivers heading to the ports, along with passengers and Kent residents, deserve a permanent solution.”

Instead, the current system relies on holding traffic on the motorway. Not exactly a shining example of modern logistics planning.

Costs, delays and wider impact

The financial argument is just as uncomfortable.

Logistics UK points out that more than £3 million of public money was spent deploying Operation Brock last year alone. That is for a system widely described as inefficient. The knock-on effects go well beyond Kent.

Border delays increase costs for operators. They add uncertainty into supply chains. And, inevitably, those costs work their way through to businesses and consumers.

“Delays at the border don’t just impact drivers,” Mills said. “They can add cost and uncertainty into supply chains.” In other words, everyone pays for it eventually. Even those who have never set foot on the M20.

Facilities still fall short

There is also the not-so-small matter of driver welfare. Logistics UK argues that Operation Brock fails to provide even basic facilities. Drivers can be left without proper toilets, food or rest areas. For an industry that already struggles with recruitment, that is not exactly helpful.

Mills said a permanent solution must include proper infrastructure. That means safe waiting areas, facilities, and conditions that reflect the role drivers play in keeping the country supplied. “Something every other worker in the country takes for granted,” he added.

It is a fair point. Expecting drivers to sit on a motorway verge for hours, or days, is hardly a recruitment poster.

Time for a long-term solution

The Easter deployment of Operation Brock is predictable. The criticism that follows it is even more predictable. What is less predictable is when a permanent solution will actually arrive.

Logistics UK says the issue has been raised with government for years. Yet the same temporary measures remain in place. For a route that handles such a large share of UK trade, the lack of long-term planning is becoming harder to defend.

Until something changes, Operation Brock will continue to do what it has always done. Manage congestion in the short term, while quietly highlighting a much bigger problem underneath.

More Information:

Logistics UK – https://logistics.org.uk

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