Road transport is essential to global supply chains, but the sector faces ongoing human rights risks linked to its operating model. Commercial pressure, layered and fragmented contracting, deregulation and cross-border operations put these risks beyond the reach of audits.
The widespread use of non-standard employment – subcontracting, self-employment and platform-based work – in road freight limits drivers’ access to labour protections, social security and stable income, particularly where drivers are economically dependent on a single client. Cost pressures, tight delivery schedules and competitive tendering drive long working hours and undermine safe and fair working conditions.
These dynamics affect job quality, workforce sustainability and diversity, with women and young workers remaining underrepresented. They also create legal, financial, operational and reputational risks for every company across the supply chain, including those relying on road transport services.
Similar risks exist in long-distance road passenger transport, and for delivery drivers and riders working for platform companies, where subcontracting and platform-based work are common. As in road freight, these risks result in weaker protections for drivers, less transparent employment relationships, lower labour standards and little regulatory oversight.
The pressure that produces those conditions and exacerbates these risks often starts at the top. Rates, delivery windows and terms set by the company buying the transport cascade down the chain. If a rate that does not cover the true cost of safe and legal operation, the cost does not disappear – it transfers risk to drivers. The risks set out in this guidance are to a significant degree, a result of procurement and purchasing practices, which companies can change now.
These conditions can create significant risks — from fatigue and unsafe work organisation to violence, harassment, and insecure employment. Understanding how these risks arise in practice helps companies identify where responsibility lies and how worker-centred human rights due diligence can improve standards across road transport supply chains.
