Newsroom

The adoption of eCMR continues to gather momentum, with Albania having joined eCMR just a few weeks earlier.

The first eTIR transport operations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan mark a major milestone for the digitalisation of international road transport in Central Asia.

IRU and T&E call for urgent political support to secure a pragmatic compromise in the ongoing trilogue negotiations on the Weights and Dimensions Directive in coordinated letters to the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament’s lead negotiator, Rosa Serrano Sierra.

As the Middle Corridor gains strategic importance for Europe–Asia trade, attention is shifting from political coordination to practical implementation. At a high-level roundtable in Brussels, IRU highlighted the concrete measures needed to make the route faster, more predictable and ready for investment.

The first IRU Academy Accredited Training Institute (ATI) e-meeting of the year brought together more than 45 participants from around 30 countries to discuss the future of professional road transport training, with a strong focus on driver mobility, dangerous goods transport and recent IRU Academy developments.

With transport ministers and leaders gathered in Leipzig for the 2026 International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit, IRU called for practical reform and facilitation measures to strengthen road transport resilience and help the sector respond to growing global disruptions.

On 8 May 2026, Brent crude is trading around USD 100 a barrel, around 20% lower than a week ago. Diesel pump prices in the EU are easing on the back of the crude unwind and five fiscal packages all simultaneously in force for the first time since the war in Iran. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

At the 2026 International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit in Leipzig, IRU’s Secretary General delivered a stark message to ministers and transport leaders: the world has entered a state of permanent crisis mode, and governments must move from discussion to action to help transport systems respond to growing global disruptions.

EU Mobility Package rules will apply to light commercial vehicles from 1 July 2026.

IRU welcomes the vote of the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) on the provisional agreement revising the coordination of social security systems at EU level.

IRU welcomes the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism’s (TRAN) support for key positions on the Roadworthiness Package and the revision of Eurovignette rules on CO₂ emission classes for heavy-duty vehicles with trailers.

The IRU x Upply x Ti report on European road freight rates in Q1 2026 reveals a divergence between contract and spot markets. Contract rates reached 140.1 index points, a solid 3.2-point increase quarter on quarter (q-o-q) and an 8.9-point increase year on year (y-o-y). Meanwhile, spot rates edged down slightly to 132.3 index points, falling by 2.8 points q-o-q and ending the period 2.0 points lower y-o-y.

On 30 April 2026, Brent crude is trading near USD 126, the highest level since 27 February and up around 18% week on week. The European market is heading into the 1 May Labour Day holiday with a tight cluster of national fiscal policy decisions. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

IRU welcomes the European Commission’s new Temporary Crisis Framework targeting several sectors most affected by the energy crisis, particularly the explicit recognition of the exceptional pressures facing road transport operators. However, Member State action remains key to turning the opportunities created by the framework into real support for the sector.

IRU member the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has been calculating the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership since the 1970s. Here are the results for March 2026.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, and the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance safer dangerous goods transport.

IRU welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the agreement reached with the Council on the CountEmissionsEU regulation, establishing a common EU approach to emissions calculation for road transport. This marks the effective conclusion of the legislative process.

IRU member CEVA Logistics and Lenovo have teamed up to advance low-carbon, cross-border, door-to-door transport solutions.

Hundreds of participants from across China gathered at a recent event on how TIR drives more efficient cross-border transport and supports a broader range of business needs.

On 24 April 2026, Brent was trading above USD 105 a barrel despite the indefinite extension of the US–Iran ceasefire announced on 21 April. Diesel pump prices in the EU fell week on week, but stabilised over the last few days, marking a halt to the downward trend. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

IRU welcomes the targeted transport measures, calls for clearer contingency planning should supply conditions deteriorate, and expects broader financial support through a separate State aid framework.

The trucking industry in North America is grappling with several major challenges, including additional tariffs, stricter rules-of-origin requirements, and rising fuel prices. IRU recently brought together Mexican vehicle makers and US carriers to discuss what keeps them up at night.

Close to 2,000 road transport operations were conducted via Iraq under the global TIR system over the past year.

EU transport ministers convened today in an informal video conference to assess the impact of developments in the Middle East on the transport sector, marking an important step towards a coordinated EU response to rising fuel costs and market volatility.

BUS2BUS 2026 confirms its role as a key platform for industry and policy dialogue. IRU contributed to the discussions, bringing the EU policy perspective and its implications for operators’ day-to-day operations.

On 17 April 2026, Brent reached USD 98.83 a barrel, up 35% since 27 February, while the week-on-week move was flat at +0.6%. Although huge price gaps remain between countries, EU diesel averaged EUR 2.07 per litre, up 27% cumulatively since the start of the war, down from 33% last week. A similar slight easing of pump prices was also seen in Brazil, Türkiye and the US, but not China. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

An intermodal TIR operation from China to Uzbekistan marks a new step in the expansion of the global transit system and cross-border logistics innovation in China.

IRU and European road transport associations, including IRU members, have released a joint statement ahead of the upcoming court hearing on Austria’s anti-transit measures on the Brenner corridor.

The war in Iran is reshaping logistics. How are routes changing? How are companies adapting? What is the outlook for newly evolving routes? We tackled these pressing questions and much more during our webinar.

Albania has become the 40th country to join eCMR, the digital protocol to the United Nations CMR Convention.

The UK seeks to better integrate coach services into local transport strategies and the wider mobility system, in line with advocacy by IRU member the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT).

IRU highlighted how the global TIR system is bolstering China–Central Asia transport links at a regional workshop in Beijing.

Safe and reliable transport is key to unlocking access to education. In Senegal, IRU is helping connect children to opportunity.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is entering into full operation across Schengen external borders, marking a new phase in its rollout.

As of 10 April 2026, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted, with only 5–7 vessels transiting daily versus over 100 pre-war. Brent crude reached USD 97.08 a barrel, down 11.5% from last week's peak of USD 119.24 but still 33% above the pre-war baseline. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.