A Northern Ireland-based family-owned haulage and logistics group, part of Ballyvesey Holdings, running transport, pallet distribution, tanker, freight management and warehousing across the UK and Ireland.
Montgomery Transport Group is a family-owned logistics group based in Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland, with operations across the UK, Ireland and Europe. A trade magazine feature says it was founded in 1970 as a small family business focused on Irish Sea transport and has grown into one of the largest family-owned logistics groups in the UK. It is run in six business units: transport, distribution, tank services, freight management, major freight and customs. Montgomery Distribution is a member of the Palletways pallet network, which it joined in 2002 when it launched a pallet distribution division.
The group does not publish a mission statement in the pages we found, so we have not invented one. The 2023 trade feature stresses three ideas: agility, capability and control, meaning the group wants to keep as much of the work as it can on its own lorries and in its own buildings. It says freight management and major freight aim to carry 60 per cent of consignments on the group's own fleet, and it talks about cutting carbon through solar-powered depots and by sharing freight with partners.
For UK readers, the group is notable because it links Northern Ireland with Great Britain. The company is based at Newtownabbey, and the feature names a solar-powered depot at Ballyearl in Northern Ireland. In Great Britain it has a large site at Preston in Lancashire, including a 135,000 square foot warehouse with space for 24,000 pallets. Montgomery Distribution has a branch at Preston with its own management team. Trade articles state it runs more than 250 vehicles and 900 trailers, and that the wider Ballyvesey group is headquartered in Doncaster. Its fleet includes Mega Decker trailers that carry 60 pallets, compared with 45 on a standard double-deck trailer, and it builds its own trailers through Montracon.
On people and culture, the group states that family management is part of its identity. In 2025 it won National and International Haulier of the Year at the Export, Freight and Transport & Logistics Awards in Belfast, and judges praised its scale, technology and reliability. It also became the first haulier in Northern Ireland to join the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme, which rewards firms with strong road-safety records; general manager Steven McBride said this reflected the dedication of every member of staff. Those are the company's and judges' words, not independent measures of workplace culture. Rachael Forshaw, a director, was described as the only woman on the board in 2023.
The jobs are varied: drivers and mechanics, warehouse teams, transport planners, customs specialists, trailer builders, sales and commercial roles, and finance and IT. The group also has vehicle dealerships and a construction arm, which shows how a logistics business can grow into related trades. If you are drawn to hands-on work, engineering or the practical side of trade between the islands of the UK and Ireland, it is worth a look.
Website: www.montgomerytransport.co.uk
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