Newsroom

Argentina is not facing a uniform shortage of truck drivers. Instead, the country is seeing a widening gap between the drivers available and the qualifications required in its most demanding transport sectors.

For Erica Giraldo, AFTRI’s Legal and Public Affairs Officer, the solution to France’s chronic bus and truck driver shortage is twofold: better communicating the new and improved image of the profession to attract younger generations and the local workforce, and, in a second step, relying on foreign talent to fill the gaps.

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.

A new road transport training centre has opened in Uzbekistan, strengthening the skills of trainers and assessors to drive the sustainable professionalisation of the sector.

The IRU x Upply x Ti Q2 2026 report shows that European contract and spot markets have accelerated sharply, breaking with the softer conditions seen through late 2025 and in Q1 2026. Contract rates rose to 148 index points, up 7.9 points quarter on quarter (QoQ) and 15.2 points year on year (YoY). Spot rates climbed even more steeply, reaching 146.8 index points, up 14.6 points QoQ and 13.9 points YoY, nearly double contract rate's quarterly pace. After three quarters of divergence, both markets

Italy’s truck driver shortage has slightly eased. It currently stands at 9%. But the underlying challenges remain. The issue is not only about numbers, Andrea Tardivo, Technical Expert at IRU member CONFETRA, told us.

A new EU-supported project aims to address acute road transport labour shortages by testing safe, legal labour mobility pathways for trained and certified professional drivers between non-EU talent partnership countries and the EU.

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.

That is the warning from Danilo Guedes, Vice President of IRU member NTC&Logística, as Brazil participates in IRU’s global driver shortage survey for the first time.

For CEVA Logistics, one of the clearest lessons from recent years is that retaining drivers starts with understanding what makes them leave. It has managed to reduce driver turnover from 50% to 17%. Driver shortage remains one of the industry’s top concerns. But the picture is complex. And according to Marco Henry, Global Ground & Rail Procurement and Fleet Management Director at IRU member CEVA Logistics, wages are no longer a major factor.

Habib Turki has officially assumed office as IRU’s new Secretary General.

Brent crude slipped below USD 90 a barrel after a pause in attacks this week, but European forecourt prices moved the other way.

Estonia’s truck driver shortage is among the most severe globally, around 20% of positions are unfilled. For Tiit Parik, President of IRU member the Association of Estonian International Road Carriers (ERAA), the figure fully reflects the reality on the ground.

Informality is widespread across Brazilian industries. Its effects are far-reaching, even contributing to the shortage of professional truck drivers, Vinicios Fernandes, Business Unit Director at IRU member Edenred’s Mobility Brazil programme, told IRU.

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.

Jaime Rodríguez, Director of IRU member CONFEBUS, says the shortage of bus and coach drivers is becoming increasingly visible. While the challenges vary across different segments, addressing them will require smarter policies, better promoting the profession, and measures that help attract and retain drivers.

That is the message from Craig Faucette, Chief Operating Officer at IRU member Trucking HR Canada. He says trucking companies are not facing the same shortage levels seen during and immediately after the pandemic. But this is not because Canada has solved the long-term supply problem.

At the time of IRU’s last fuel prices update, two weeks ago, road transport operators might have thought the worst was behind them. Today, volatility has returned in both crude supply and diesel price dynamics. Government support measures however are not keeping up.

IRU welcomes the Commission’s recognition of road transport as one of the key sectors in its Electrification Action Plan, which is an important step towards creating the conditions needed for operators to invest in electric vehicles.

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

Driver shortage is putting growing pressure on operators in Europe. IRU member UPS takes special care to get the drivers it needs. But it’s aware of the evolving challenges. We spoke with Chelsea Allison, Vice President Human Resources at UPS Europe, Middle East and Africa, to understand how the company is responding.

Hendrick Logistics Ireland has successfully completed a temperature-controlled trucking operation from Ireland to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seamlessly crossing 13 countries in the process.

Following Albania and North Macedonia, Montenegro is the third Western Balkan country to join eCMR in 2026.

The shortage of professional drivers is a major challenge for Turkish operators. But targeted cooperation between industry and government is opening the profession to new talent. Long-term career visions and digitalisation are also key to making the profession more attractive.

Egypt has taken a major step towards more efficient, secure and seamless international road transport and trade with today’s signing of the TIR guarantee agreement in Cairo.

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.

At the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, IRU called for hard infrastructure to be matched by trade facilitation tools to keep goods moving smoothly.

For Torello, driver shortage is not only a labour market issue. It is also a question of bureaucracy, certification and integration, especially for drivers from outside the EU. The company can identify, recruit and train drivers. But making them fully qualified and ready to work takes far too long.

As of 3 July 2026, crude relief has arrived before pump relief. Brent reached USD 72.49 a barrel on 3 July, putting it 0.7% below the 27 February baseline. But the EU weighted diesel average rose to EUR 1.766 per litre, 8.1% above the baseline, as Germany and Spain let key fuel-tax relief lapse on 30 June. US diesel is still USD 1.282 per litre, 25.5% above the baseline. Here is the latest overview for the road transport sector.

IRU welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on targeted amendments to the Eurovignette Directive as an important step towards greater legal clarity on CO₂-based road charging for heavy-duty vehicles across the EU.

A major regulatory shift began on 1 July for Europe’s van sector: cross-border light commercial vehicles (LCVs) above 2.5 tonnes must now comply with EU rules on driving and rest times, mandatory smart tachographs and driver posting. This means equipping vehicles with tachographs and adapting to entirely new compliance requirements affecting drivers and day-to-day operations.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the road passenger transport workforce, especially as drivers. At the launch of UN Tourism’s first global study on women in tourism transport, IRU outlined practical ways to attract and retain more women workers in bus and coach operations.

IRU member UND’s latest Middle East Working Group meeting focused on how the TIR system can support faster and more secure transport.

IRU’s latest global driver shortage report finds that recruitment difficulties are worsening, with the shortage topping operators’ concerns across most surveyed markets.