Newsroom

IRU welcomes today’s vote by the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee endorsing the provisional Driving Licence Directive agreement reached during trilogue. This follows recent formal approval by the Council’s Committee of Permanent Representatives, the first of the EU co-legislators to back the deal. The reform responds to long-standing industry calls to address driver shortages and promote the digitalisation of driving licences while upholding high road safety standards.

IRU’s General Assembly and councils brought together members from around the world for two days of discussions on opportunities to boost competitiveness, mitigate cargo crime, advance decarbonisation, overcome driver shortages and navigate economic shifts.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, has published its 2024 annual report, highlighting key achievements in advancing safe, efficient and sustainable road transport during a challenging year.

IRU and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) have urged European Commission leaders to support the road transport sector by urgently clarifying how EU rules on posted driver pay are applied by Member States.

The European Commission’s proposal for the revision of the Roadworthiness Package is a timely and necessary step to modernise outdated EU rules. It strikes a positive balance between enhancing road safety and embracing digital solutions, while avoiding unnecessary burdens for commercial road transport operators.

IRU’s latest global truck driver shortage report is out. While unfilled positions in 2024 were similar to 2023 due to easing transport demand, alarming figures show a widening age chasm between young and older driver employment rates. But salaries and job satisfaction remain high.

IRU and Lease Europe brought together EU lawmakers and industry leaders in Strasbourg today to chart a realistic path forward to green corporate fleets.

IRU welcomes the EU’s targeted amendment introducing flexibility for manufacturers to reach car and van CO₂ emission reduction targets, but calls for a broader, accelerated revision to support realistic decarbonisation.

Central Asia’s freight transport faces key challenges, but a coordinated regional approach could unlock sustainable connectivity and resilience. Experts recently gathered at an International Transport Forum (ITF) event to assess strategies.

CEOs and senior figures from 30 trucking companies in Canada, Mexico and the US were in Washington D.C. to exchange on cross-border challenges at IRU’s first North American Transportation Forum Leadership Dialogue.

Over 200 policymakers and industry leaders discussed the digital future of EU road transport at the annual IRU spring cocktail in Brussels.

From tourist hotspots to rural areas, everyone is feeling the strain of Spain’s bus and coach driver shortage. Action is needed to turn things around – solutions are already on the table.

IRU welcomes the European Commission’s Union of Skills Communication and its clear recognition of labour shortages in the road transport sector. This crucial acknowledgment sets the stage for further action.

IRU welcomes the European Commission’s Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector, particularly the focus on incentives and better infrastructure access to support commercial road transport operators’ uptake of zero-emission vehicles. However, IRU remains deeply concerned about the lack of technology options for road transport – only battery-electric technology is promoted as a clean solution – and the potential purchasing mandates for corporate fleets.

The Council of the European Union’s adoption of its general approaches on passenger rights enforcement and multimodal journey regulation marks a significant step forward in safeguarding passengers and supporting operators. IRU welcomes, in particular, the clarification of the scope and the realistic extension of reimbursement deadlines. However, critical gaps remain, including the need to consider the unique position of small enterprises and set clearer rules on intermediary liability.

IRU, together with two other major transport organisations, has called on EU lawmakers to back critical measures and ensure that EU public transport services remain sustainable and accessible amid a severe shortage of bus and coach drivers.

As the new European Parliament sits for the first time, IRU looks forward to working with MEPs to drive a more sustainable, efficient and innovative EU road transport sector. Priority policy actions are outlined in IRU’s Manifesto.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, has published its annual report for 2023, looking at the organisation’s progress and achievements in shaping safe, efficient and sustainable road transport during its 75th anniversary year.

The annual ITF Summit of transport ministers took place in Leipzig, Germany, last week. IRU was at the heart of the gathering, putting the voice of the industry on stage and in high-level meetings.

Opening the 2024 ITF Summit of Transport Ministers in Leipzig, Germany, IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has stressed the importance of a pragmatic approach to decarbonising commercial road transport based on proven, available efficiency measures.

“How can we be greener and more resilient?” was the main question put to industry expert panellists – from Amazon, Flixbus, LKW Walter, Michelin and the World Bank – at IRU’s ITF Summit event today.

At a recent meeting held at IRU in Geneva, US and global trucking industry stakeholders compared and addressed solutions to key challenges undermining road goods transport operations.

IRU’s President detailed the latest road transport trends in the Black Sea region at BSEC-URTA’s General Assembly.

The road transport sector is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. But many types of actions are needed to achieve this. How do we get there, starting today?

Safety is at the heart of our work. For decades, we, together with our members, have worked to make road transport safer for everyone, including for drivers operating vital life-saving services.

IRU will lead a fact-finding research project, financed by the European Commission, to explore the legal and administrative framework for third-country drivers to access the profession.

IRU’s new European truck driver shortage report has found that over half of operators are unable to expand their business due to the shortage of drivers.

The European Parliament has officially approved the provisional agreement with the Council on the Platform Workers Directive at today’s plenary session. Pending confirmation from the Council, the focus now shifts to Member States.

Despite a last-minute push for technology neutrality, the European Parliament’s plenary vote on CO₂ emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles fails to recognise other solutions that can play a role in decarbonising the commercial road transport sector.

In the second of a three-part webinar series, IRU and POLIS brought together European leaders working to achieve carbon neutrality in road freight transport in and around cities. The group debated key issues on the complex road to 2050.

At the coveted biennial Expo Movilidad, IRU discussed key decarbonisation, digitalisation and driver shortage challenges and opportunities with leading bus and coach companies, manufacturers, suppliers and public authorities.

The efficient decarbonisation of road transport took centre stage at the United Nations Inland Transport Committee’s kick-off day in Geneva.

Young professional drivers in the EU have been the target of a misguided safety campaign. The European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) provides concrete steps to address the EU’s youth unemployment and driver shortage while carefully considering and addressing road safety aspects. Its vision should be endorsed by the plenary.

IRU welcomes today’s European Parliament Transport Committee vote on vehicle weights and dimensions. They confirmed key CO₂ emission incentives, but, disappointingly, placed additional obstacles against wider use of European Modular System vehicles.

IRU takes stock of today’s vote in the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on CO₂ emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles. It is a mixed bag for the commercial road transport sector.