France | Lyon

Energy drivers: IRU at SOLUTRANS

3 Dec 2025 · People, Environment

At this year’s SOLUTRANS exhibition in Lyon, France, IRU put the spotlight on two pressing challenges facing road transport: the shortage of drivers and the road to net-zero.

The 2025 edition of SOLUTRANS brought together over 1,100 exhibitors and brands from across the road freight ecosystem. It was a real-world laboratory where more than 60,000 professionals explored the latest innovations and breakthroughs.

IRU’s participation, together with its members, centred on solutions to get more people behind the wheel and on the best approach for decarbonising road transport.

Connecting with EU policymakers

IRU EU Director Raluca Marian spoke during the plenary session on ensuring that the greening of commercial fleets is workable for operators, and addressing the chronic truck driver shortage that continues to strain supply chains.

She reaffirmed that operators are fully committed to decarbonisation. However, real progress depends on the right enabling conditions, including adequate infrastructure, reliable energy availability, technologies suited to diverse missions, and investment support that matches operational realities.

Regarding the driver shortage, she emphasised the need for long-term, practical measures, with a particular focus on the swift implementation of the revised Driving Licence Directive.

The session brought together EU policymakers, manufacturers and industry associations in a constructive and open exchange. It was precisely the kind of dialogue the sector needs as it navigates a period of major transition.

Understanding the profession

IRU Intelligence Associate Director Marie-Anne Cervoni and Truckfly by Michelin Marketing Director Clément Faure (part of IRU member Michelin) presented the findings of the joint IRU–Truckfly survey on how European truck drivers view their profession.

The survey revealed a profession that inspires strong attachment. Drivers are proud of their work despite difficult conditions and limited recognition. More than half report satisfaction with their job, although many hesitate to recommend it to others due to challenging working conditions.

Women and young drivers stand out as being more satisfied than average, which suggests that the central issue is attracting new entrants rather than retaining existing ones.

To draw more people into the profession, Marie-Anne Cervoni and Clément Faure highlighted the need to increase the number of secure parking areas, improve conditions at delivery sites, and strengthen the profession’s public image. Practical solutions are required to make the job more attractive and accessible.

In addition to governments, companies can play a key role, particularly in sharing and expanding good practices across the sector.

Collaborating to decarbonise

IRU Senior Research Manager Romain Mouton and IRU member TotalEnergies New Energies Business Engineer Christophe Combre explored concrete pathways to decarbonise trucking.

https://www.iru.org/news-resources/newsroom/energy-drivers-iru-solutrans

Romain Mouton explained how efficiency measures can reduce emissions by up to 50%, easing the transition towards alternative fuels, covering the remaining reductions. While the adoption of alternative fuels is likely to increase vehicle costs, efficiency measures can offset much of this impact.

TotalEnergies presented its multi-energy approach, which is based on specific use cases and client needs.

Christophe Combre also detailed TotalEnergies’ holistic eTruck solution, which includes electricity from 100% renewable sources, customised recharging infrastructure, smart charging, proactive maintenance, support to obtain eligible subsidies, and Charge+ Truck, a charging card to simplify depot and on-route recharging.

As SOLUTRANS demonstrated, the challenges ahead can only be met through informed dialogue and coordinated action. IRU will continue working with its members and partners to build a greener, more resilient and more attractive road transport sector.

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