The change, from June 1, was, said FTA chief executive David Wells, “essential if FTA is to continue to grow and achieve more for its members in a fast-changing world”.
He said: “The core of what we do is representation of our members’ interests through effective lobbying and negotiation with policy makers. Our change of name is designed solely to support and strengthen the many policy wins we already achieve on behalf of our members.
Highlighting that the “very large logistics sector was critical to the success of UK plc”, Mr Wells continued: “The logistics industry of the future will be very different from the one we all operate in today.
“The creation of a new ministerial role, Minister of State for the Future of Transport, to oversee and shape the development of the logistics sector, directly acknowledges the interconnectedness of supply chains. This is another example of how the world around us is changing, and why evolving our name now will help strengthen our voice and our influence.”
The change was, said Mr Wells, “ultimately about achieving even more for our members by strengthening our voice and increasing our relevance in a fast changing world”. He concluded: “Efficient logistics is vital to keep the UK trading, directly having an impact on more than seven million people employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc.”