The Road Haulage Association (RHA), the UK trade body for road transport and logistics operators, has appointed Ally Hobson as policy and engagement lead for Northern Ireland, joining on 2 November. The role gives Northern Ireland members a dedicated representative with 30 years of transport and logistics experience, speaking for them to government and elected representatives.

The RHA is the UK's largest dedicated trade association representing HGV, coach and van operators, headquartered in Peterborough, England, and formed in 1945. It campaigns for members and provides advice, training and business services to hire and reward road transport and logistics operators across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Hobson's career spans freight forwarding, road transport, customs and operational management. He has previously worked with Montgomery Transport Group, McCulla Ireland and Campbell McCleave, building and leading teams along the way.

The structural driver is regulatory complexity for Northern Ireland operators. Hobson has established new customs operations and helped businesses navigate complex regulatory changes, experience he now takes into a representative role.

He has also represented industry interests at Westminster and Stormont, bringing practical operating experience into discussions with policymakers rather than relying on policy knowledge alone.

Richard Smith, RHA managing director, said, "That understanding of how decisions affect businesses will be central to his role: getting out to meet members across Northern Ireland, listening to their concerns and making sure their priorities are heard by government and elected representatives."

In practice, that means Hobson will spend much of his time out of the office, meeting members across Northern Ireland and carrying their concerns back to decision makers. Smith described his background as giving him a strong understanding of the day-to-day pressures facing members.

For the sector, the appointment shows trade bodies placing experienced operators on the ground in Northern Ireland, where regulatory change continues to shape how hauliers do business.

Source: RHA / Wikipedia