Transport driving vehicles and aid deliveries from UK for Ukraine
voluntary transport vehicles
2026 – person to person
turning a van into a symbolic message of LOVE AID & SUPPORT from UK to Ukraine
Transport drive Ukraine is Organising to kit out a really useful transport support vehicle and supply it to a nominated charity or special organisation within Ukraine. (tbc) the vehicle is best suited for assisting local communities with transport. It is set up for transporting people, in emergencies, as well as local goods. An especially useful resource for children and the elderly who are struggling to get around. (details of fitted kit and upgrades to follow)
A symbol of unity from UK to Ukraine
A/ Literally write – paint – scribble your own message of support to the people of Ukraine >
directly paint it on to the van – at events + on drives through UK & EuropeB/ Adding your stickers or logos to the vehicle (or we can apply it for you)
C/ Sponsor and take a whole section of the van (Like a whole panel can be sponsored with your details and messages)
or >
D/ Write it / draw it online at – (new online facility) and we will transfer it to the van for you.
Ideally – it’s better if people can directly write onto the vehicle (we supply the paints!) that way it’s a real physical thing, direct interaction and transfer of a physical action of support > person to person.
We are also filling the van with lovingly supplied kit, constantly much needed things + support and drive it all directly to the people
- Cover every inch of the van in love
- Plenty of useful kit inside – space to sit or lie down – carry people who urgently need some local transport support.
The vehicle is being driven into Ukraine – as 1 big message of friendship and support – directly to the many, many families, children and injured who very much need to keep rebuilding their futures.
All assistance, sharing etc; it is really greatly appreciated anything you can also help with.
Thank you very much – Steve Hotson
WRITE YOUR OWN MESSAGE OF SUPPORT
as well as getting it onto ( or into ) the Sprinter Van
- Write your support message
- Contribute anyway you like to support
- Link to your own site / blog / business
Background
Overland Moto expeditions
Ukraine was a key transit region for our Moto explorer overland expeditions. Initially using the southern routes, then as the invasion developed from the south east, we still manage to transit, reverting to the north and central Ukraine regions, via Kiev and Sumy. The local people, culture, roads etc are all very hospitable to us (although bumpy in places!) I feel for the people caught up in the on-going atrocities. Our support is just something small we can do to try and help a little, especially for the children and displaced families.
voluntary transport
Initially using my own support vehicle and resources, plus raising some funds and help from friends, to do our small part to help. Assistance when a truck or van driver is required to take vehicles and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. C1E / HGV & CPC qualified.
Transport drive Ukraine with 15t Daf with special equipment aid driving from UK into Ukraine
Road transport Ukraine
2026 Transport-Drive-Ukraine is helping with more aspects of Ukraine’s transport needs, both for delivering aid and kit, vehicle / moto related projects, as well as assisting other people and entities who are involved with transport drives to Ukraine and eventually with some re-building and re-housing of people who were forced to flee under duress.
On previous transport drives there were large numbers of trucks and vehicles stuck and facing significant delays around the Ukrainian borders. Including hundreds of Ukrainian truckers/ drivers who were stranded by the borders, waiting to return back to Ukraine. * see trip update, below for more on this, as I experienced things first hand.
Fast drive out to Ukraine, anytime, taking lighter, more urgent items, some packages and warming things for Ukrainians from here in UK – I can help deliver fast to Ukraine.
Items donating for transport drive to Ukraine;
- waterproofs, coats, trousers
- Boots, sturdy shoes
- Medical items
- Children’s items
Ukraine support driver - What’s apparent is the immense task of continuously funding and organising ongoing transport across to the Poland / Ukraine border region. Once at a local warehouse, they have some good logistics to move goods onwards into and through Ukraine. i.e several small vans and volunteer transport.
- From my own small glimpse of the challenges they all face, I can see that continuing to hold peoples attention in terms of what’s needed logistically, is a huge challenge. I think that people just driving over there, with what-ever support you can muster, is all really well received and appreciated.
- The flow of transport to and through borders; this was something I wanted to see for my own eyes, what looks to be happening with disrupted transport, border flow, trucking back-log. I drove up to 2 border crossings, the first at Shehyni appears the main transit for the large lorries. That isn’t physically blocked. There were no signs of road blocks. I spoke with police right on the border, there was no major issues reaching the border. I was able to drive freely right up to and join the short border queues, (noting it much shorter than when I’d passed that border several times, pre-war, summer time – it used to be very congested) now; the trucks all appear to be getting stacked up well away from the border, through multiple side roads, villages, expressways and truck stops, i’d say spreading out 60-70 km away from the border.
- There’s a huge amount of lorries and goods being held up, well away from the border. Mainly Ukrainian plated lorries, but also quite a few Polish one’s amongst them. For me, that was a big frustration, knowing what we know, it appeared more political, and or border bureaucracy driven, than anything like a polish blockade. I drove around say 100km all around those border regions and didn’t see any physical road blockades by Polish people or lorries. Just literally a handful of people with flags alongside the border, but they were well away from the road and weren’t preventing anyone from driving by. Maybe they place a limit on how many trucks can drive by? it’s hard to see how just a handful of protestors could cause any meaningful block-aid or delay.
- It’s created a really grim additional scenario for those Ukrainian drivers, it’s literally freezing cold and many are parked up with no facilities, on rural roads, run out of food and or the capability to get or make hot food.
- Again – local aid guys do an immense amount to directly help those affected drivers, literally spending hours preparing and making big vats of hot food and then doing their best to deliver it to some of the stranded groups of drivers in the evenings. I’m sure a big help, as I saw it myself
- What was apparent (and surprised me a bit) was the vast scale and variety of transport and goods that are potentially flowing to and from Ukraine through those borders, by road haulage. (were they not disrupted)
- There’s a lot of fuel tankers, not sure which way they were delivering the fuel?
- Also various trucks delivering various industrial products out from Ukraine, into Europe. (then getting stranded on the return leg)
- The other border, a little further north, looked a less commercial. I was actually waved through to approach the Polish exit customs quite quickly! and almost entered their customs and border procedure. No doubt it would still take a few hours on the Ukrainian side. Given lack of time and resource, I opted to stay on the Polish side. I’d imagine their own local small vans can cross in a few hours, either way, wasn’t any significant delays from what I saw. (given this probably changes immensely day to day) Trains were also running freely, I saw numerous freight trains. (actually got in a little bother from being in that region, close by the border!) but was addressed, as I’d gone there to also drop some of our donated clothes at another donation place, literally right on the border.
- Some boxes of toys were sent by, DrivingAidtoUkraine, they were very well received and said to be going directly to Ukrainian orphanages. I was pleased that we were able to help get those out there in time for Christmas.
- Within Poland; I got a brief glimpse of the way the Ukrainian people are integrating into Poland. I stayed at a motel not to far from the border. The lady running that was Ukrainian. I spoke with other guests and travellers, there’s clearly a lot of Ukrainians working and settling within Poland. If handled sensitively, I’d imagine those two Nations can both benefit from that collaboration, there’s two vast Countries which can continue to grow their integration with Europe.
- Lets support the UK to also build on these relationships and close proximity with Ukraine and the EU.
DRIVE / RIDE FOR UKRAINE – assisting with routing, if anyone likes to join in when we next drive there. get in touch.
About MotoExplorer transport driver CE / CE1 / C2 / CPC
There are route notes and suggested hotels you can use in region. Other than that, it’s a solo/free-style ride (or join up with 1 or 2 others) keep your costs low, keep it fast and simple. Ride or drive for a good cause, rather than just take a motorbike holiday tour, or European road trip next year, take a bike or car load of essential gear, drop it off, ride or drive back lighter – with pride for helping your fellow European citizens, showing support for their freedoms. Ultimately, the only way to grow and prosper in a safe world, is to work and live together with all our neighbours, east and west together.
Contact Steve
Regions and countries covererd to/from Ukraine including Slovakia / Poland borders.
France, Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourge, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, UK, Poland
When there’s a vehicle / or I am in region myself, I will post it here with the dates and the locations, otherwise get in touch with me, Steve Hotson
If you’d also like to help, get in touch.
As I complete the PressGo book, you will see it has a direct connection to my own family and how my own travels started, as well as the past 15 years of travelling to and through Ukraine. Fast car/van courier format to Ukraine (like how I started in the old days, motorbike couriering.
As motorbikers, we always had an instant connection with the people we met throughout Ukraine. When you pull up at the roadside, as we bikers know – you’re instantly in the community, people connect. So, perhaps we can pay something back of that kinship we always experienced. Ukrainians used lots of motorbikes, we shall see if there’s someway to help, even any riders who’d like to go and show their support, carry some small essential items, it should all be helpful.
Currently helping gather clothing, shoes. children’s toys and items to take, see: (new 2026 link soon)
aid drives in 2026 as it’s still needed, so all contributions are always very well received. THANK YOU, voluntary vehicle transport – aid & supplies
Steve Hotson