We are 75

2023 was a special year for IRU: we celebrated our 75ᵗʰ anniversary. With our members, partners, staff and friends, we have helped connect societies with safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics as the voice of commercial road transport since 1948.

We also marked the 50ᵗʰ anniversary of our European Union representation in Brussels. We have worked hand in hand with European authorities and governments since 1973 to help develop and advance the EU.

A highlight of last year was meeting some of the people who are taking the road transport industry forward.

Our New Industry Shapers come from mobility and logistics operators, associations, and suppliers, as well as drivers, researchers, and public sector innovators from across the globe.

We will continue to meet them, hear their stories and discuss some of our world’s most pressing issues with them in 2024 and beyond.

If you know someone who could be a new industry shaper, let us know.

Join our events

We kicked off on 12 May with a special event in Geneva.

And then in Brussels, on 27 June, we celebrated 50 years of our EU representation.

In the second half of the year, we organised regional anniversary events in: Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Cancun, Mexico; Beijing, China; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (22 October); and Istanbul, Türkiye (15 November).

Browse all events

Sign the IRU Charter 75

An industry pledge reinforcing road transport’s commitment to help people in times of crisis.

Sign the charter

Reaching these extraordinary milestones is testament to the importance of the road transport industry, the strength of the IRU family, and the dedication and commitment of our members across the globe.

We looked back at some of the momentous milestones in our history, but our focus was, and continues to be, looking forward.

We explored where our industry is heading over the coming decades, and its role in connecting people, communities and businesses with safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics.

How is commercial road transport helping achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals? Combat climate change? Reduce poverty and inequality? Drive prosperity and peace? Make our cities, towns and villages more liveable? In short, making our lives and our world better.

IRU was founded on 23 March 1948 to help a war-torn Europe rebuild devastated trade and commercial links.

Over the years, as IRU’s membership grew, we built long-standing partnerships with the United Nations, the European Union and many other international and regional organisations to drive progress in the road transport industry and its service to the world’s communities and economies.

Today, as the voice of over 3.5 million mobility and logistics companies across the globe, IRU works to connect societies with safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics.

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