Newsroom

At IRU and TransFollow’s eCMR webinar, industry experts discussed how digitalisation is improving operational efficiency, while uneven adoption, customer readiness and interoperability challenges remain as Europe prepares for eFTI.

At the New Silk Way Forum in Kazakhstan, IRU called for internationally harmonised digital tools to facilitate cross-border trade, warning that disconnected national systems risk creating new barriers rather than removing existing ones.

Disruptions – congestion, border delays, capacity shortages and changing rules – are part of daily operations. Digitalisation cannot remove that uncertainty, but it can help to react faster. CEVA Logistics provides one example of how.

HARMO, a new Horizon Europe project, will help automated vehicles better anticipate real-world human behaviour. IRU leads the work on safety acceptance, regulatory evidence and policy engagement.

New IRU Secretary General Habib Turki and UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean have held their first bilateral meeting, setting out priorities to strengthen their longstanding partnership, accelerate digitalisation and expand the reach of international road transport conventions.

The digital ECMT permit system is proving how paperless processes can simplify international road transport. At the latest ITF Group on Road Transport meeting in Rome, IRU called for that momentum to extend to eCMR, eVisas and other cross-border tools, while warning that unresolved AETR issues risk undermining the multilateral permit system.

Two expert panels at IRU member CANACAR’s 2026 National Convention looked at how tougher cabotage, visa and language rule enforcement can lead to more efficient and competitive cross-border trade in North America. IRU Vice President Iro Doumani added a global perspective to the debate.

Together with its member the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), IRU held high-level talks with Sean Canney, Ireland’s Minister of State for Transport, on how the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the road transport sector can work together to deliver practical progress for operators.

Legal experts, academics and transport practitioners gathered in Bucharest to mark 70 years of the CMR Convention and discuss how it can remain fit for the digital era. IRU President Radu Dinescu placed SMEs at the centre of the digital transition, calling for simple and cost-efficient solutions.

The World Bank’s new report on the Middle Corridor sets out the scale of investment needed to transform the route into a true economic corridor. But its message is equally clear: infrastructure must be matched by trade facilitation, digitalisation and road transport reform.

At Connecting Europe Days 2026, IRU called for practical rules, infrastructure and investment conditions that can turn the EU’s transport ambitions into reality.

Connectivity, innovation and partnerships were on the agenda this week for IRU Secretary General Habib Turki. His series of high-level events and bilateral meetings with Chinese authorities, transport companies and IRU members has set the course for the next decade of international road transport cooperation.

At IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hannover, Germany, IRU President Radu Dinescu called for deeper cooperation between technology providers, operators and associations to ensure digitalisation delivers practical benefits for road transport.

Artificial intelligence, automation and greater connectivity can help road transport respond to major challenges. But successful deployment will depend on common standards, trusted governance and keeping people at the centre, IRU President Radu Dinescu told transport leaders in Seoul.

IRU’s Commission on Innovation and Technology (CIT) brought together members and industry experts in Brussels to exchange views on the technologies, regulatory developments and practical challenges shaping the future of commercial road transport.

Road transport operators need effective access to the data generated by the vehicles they own, lease and operate. But how can this be achieved while protecting manufacturers’ intellectual property and maintaining cybersecurity and vehicle safety?

More than 50 experts from across the road transport ecosystem came together this week for the second edition of IRU’s Innovation and Technology Event. They explored avenues to unlock eCMR uptake.

More than 30 delegates from 16 countries gathered in Türkiye for IRU’s Commission on Customs Affairs (CAD), putting emerging trade corridors, stronger regional connectivity and eTIR deployment at the centre of discussions.

IRU and TransFollow have joined forces to accelerate market acceptance and uptake of fully digital road freight and logistics with the eCMR standard.

Recent field visits to the Gürbulak–Bazargan border crossing between Türkiye and Iran and the Dilucu–Sederek border crossing between Türkiye and Azerbaijan brought together IRU, its members UND and ITCAI, customs authorities, and the road transport industry to review border procedures and identify practical steps to boost freight flows.

All four countries joining eCMR in 2026 are in the Western Balkans region. The latest is Serbia.

IRU and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) have reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation on road transport, digitalisation and trade facilitation across the ECO region.

For the first time, eTIR operations have been run across the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and, with Uzbekistan, between three countries. These new services will bring additional transit efficiency, speed and security to the vital Middle Corridor.

Uzbekistan has successfully deployed the eTIR National Application, joining its neighbours in fully digitalising TIR road transport operations.

New EU social data obligations are adding another layer of complexity for the road transport sector. We asked Emilie Marin, Digital Product Manager at IRU member Axxès, about the solutions available to simplify life a little bit for operators.

How has IRU changed over the past 30 years? This was the question we put to IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto as he prepares to hand over to his successor.

IRU welcomes the launch of the European Commission’s final Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport call under the current 2021–2027 EU budget, which provides dedicated funding for three long-standing priorities of the commercial road transport sector: alternative fuels infrastructure, external border efficiency and digital innovation. The package includes EUR 130 million for alternative fuels infrastructure, EUR 20 million for external border-crossing improvements, and EUR 20 million for digi

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has been in the road transport industry for over 30 years. As he prepares to hand over the reins, we sat down with him to reflect on those three decades. The first part of the interview looks at the industry. The second is on IRU itself.

A new industry initiative is injecting fresh momentum into the uptake of eCMR, the UN digital consignment note standard, targeting interoperability across vendors, users and countries.

At a recent TIR roundtable in Geneva, IRU members from across Eurasia discussed how to strengthen corridor connectivity, address bottlenecks and accelerate digitalisation.

North America depends on efficient cross-border trucking. Following a leadership dialogue with CEOs and senior trucking leaders in Mexico City, IRU has been working to ensure that the Canada–Mexico–US trade agreement – known as USMCA in the US, CUSMA in Canada and TMEC in Mexico, and currently up for review – addresses border challenges and long-standing commitments to improve cross-border supply chain operations.

Eurasian road transport leaders met at the IRU Liaison Committee to Eurasia (CLEA) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, last week to discuss current operational issues and recent customs and transport developments in the region.

IRU’s General Assembly and transport councils brought together members from around the world to connect, discuss and decide on key issues.

IRU played a prominent role in bridging EU and national policies, as well as policymaker and operator priorities, at Transpotec Logitec and Next Mobility 2026, a major international exhibition and conference for freight transport, logistics and passenger mobility in Milan, Italy.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, has published its 2025 annual report, outlining key achievements in driving safe, efficient and sustainable road transport across the globe.