The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) adopted today its position on the EU Driving Licence Directive, constituting a considerable step forward in eliminating crucial barriers discouraging entry into the bus and truck driver profession.

The Council’s general approach takes small steps towards addressing driver shortages with the revision of the driving licence rules, better news is expected from the European Parliament. During the same meeting, the Council reached a historic agreement on the recognition of specific driving and rest time rules for coach tourism drivers.

IRU has awarded its Diploma of Honour to 1,248 bus, coach, taxi and truck drivers from 25 countries worldwide for their outstanding driving and safety records.

IRU and Iran’s public and private road transport sector have held a hybrid conference on road safety, professional qualifications and the transport of dangerous goods.

Geneva, 20 November 2023 – IRU’s 2023 driver shortage report has found that over three million truck driver jobs are unfilled, or 7% of total positions, in 36 countries studied. With the huge gap between young and old drivers growing, it will get much worse over the next five years without significant action.

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) adopted today the compromise amendments tabled by its lead rapporteur on driving and rest time rules for coach drivers.

Ahead of Thursday’s vote in the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN), IRU urges MEPs to vote in support of the compromise amendments tabled by TRAN’s lead rapporteur on driving and rest time rules for coach drivers, making the much-needed distinction from rules set for truck drivers.

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto and the President of Mongolia have held high-level talks on measures to further streamline trade and professionalise the country’s road transport industry.

IRU and EU Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit met to discuss the recruitment, employment and integration practices for third-country drivers in the EU.

The ongoing revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation is of critical importance to the EU’s road transport sector. An agreement between legislators is desperately needed, followed by commitment from Member States.

How do we make a just transition happen? At the Young Transport Workers' Conference, IRU highlighted the common thread between driver shortages and a just transition: young people.

IRU Academy Associate Training Institutes from 20 countries have stressed the importance of strengthening professional qualification standards to help mitigate driver shortages during their recent e-meeting.

Industry representatives warn that a lack of a pre-established EU-wide criteria on employment relationships in the Platform Workers Directive could be detrimental for small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed workers.

IRU, the world road transport employers' organisation, representing more than 3.5 million road transport operators, and ITF, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, representing 18.5 million transport workers, have today launched a three-point plan to help fix driver shortages.

IRU members have adopted new policy positions on immigration and driver shortages, autonomous vehicles, and a new crisis response charter.

The Top Road Transport Manager Award encourages the road transport industry and its employees to be in tune with the latest legislative and operational developments impacting the sector.  

In the fourth edition of this special series spotlighting some of the women leaders of our industry, we feature Theresa-Jasmin Meyering, Trainer and Bus & Coach Business Manager at Meyering Verkehrsbetriebe.

Sign the charter! Road transport operators and shippers have come together in the first of a series of events intended to improve the treatment of drivers at delivery sites.

Spain is facing a shortage of drivers – and it’s likely to get worse if current trends continue. We asked Ramón Valdivia, Executive Vice President of IRU member ASTIC and IRU Presidential Executive member, what is being – and should be – done in response.

In the third edition of this special series spotlighting some of the women leaders of our industry, we feature Florence Berthelot, General Delegate of IRU member the Fédération Nationale des Transports Routiers (FNTR).

IRU voices support for third-country truck drivers taking action in Germany, and calls for the application of the rule of law and collaboration between relevant stakeholders to prevent similar abuses in the future.

Commercial road transport has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. Nevertheless, the percentage of women working in the sector is slowly but steadily changing. We look at some of them on this special day. The share of women truck drivers is less than 3% in most regions.

The European Parliament, meeting in plenary yesterday, has given the green light to its Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) to negotiate with the Council on new rules to reclassify platform employees. The Parliament has taken the right turn by limiting the Platform Workers Directive’s scope to purely digital platform players.

Freightsafe, a young company set on improving parking for trucks with a novel approach, has joined IRU as its newest member. Founded in 2017, Freightsafe installs and operates automated smart parking ports for trucks. The company is looking to change the way secure parking works by giving drivers and transport operators the power to procure secure parking where and when needed.

In 2022, IRU, backed with on-the-ground information from its members, continued to report and analyse global driver shortages: a chronic issue threatening the stability and continuity of mobility and supply chains. This article offers an overview of IRU’s efforts to analyse the situation, raise awareness and advance solutions.

Angel Nava del Val, better known as Ángelo, used to play as a left-back for professional Spanish football team Málaga CF. Since his retirement, he’s managed to stay close to his boyhood team. With now a different role as Málaga CF’s official driver, Ángelo, 56, tells us his story.

IRU has awarded its Diploma of Honour to 1,756 taxi, bus, coach and truck drivers from 23 countries worldwide for their outstanding driving and safety records.

The European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) voted on new rules to reclassify platforms’ self-employed collaborators as digital platform employees. The Platform Workers Directive takes the right turn by limiting its scope to pure digital platform players.

57-year-old Franco Pala is from Capoterra, a town in Sardinia, Italy. Six years ago, he was approached with a major career opportunity: to become the official coach driver of Italian football club Cagliari. With the World Cup underway and football fever running high, Franco Pala describes his last six years.

Bus and coach services occupy a vital role in society. In the EU, they’re the most used mode of collective transport. Given the current shortage of drivers, you would think that everything possible would be done to attract more drivers.

Amid the ongoing global driver shortage, it has never been more important to manage, retain and, when possible, hire drivers. To do so, leading companies understand that they need to be an employer of choice.

Jose Angel Cueto Lopez drove Real Racing Club de Santander football players to their games every week for over 35 years. IRU member and Spanish operator ALSA, who Jose Lopez worked for, spoke with him soon after his retirement about his career as a professional driver. As the World Cup gets underway, here are some of his fondest memories.

A new IRU report shows that truck, bus and coach driver shortages in Europe are spiralling out of control, fuelled by increased transport demand and an ageing driver population.

Reducing liability exposure, minimising road incidents and cutting costs, they can all be achieved with the right approach.