Newsroom

TIR operations are taking off from borders and inland cities across China. From small consumer goods and ice cream to industrial cargo, TIR is making door-to-door, long-distance deliveries easier than ever.

With the TIR system now live in Iraq since April 2025, the Minister of Transport and industry leaders officially marked this milestone yesterday in Baghdad – signalling a new era for international logistics and trade.

How widespread is the use of AI in trucking? IRU unpacked AI adoption and key market patterns facing the industry at Transport Logistic in Munich.

With Pakistan’s TIR usage surging by 200% in 2025, IRU moderated two key panels at the latest Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute Research Conference. The discussions focused on operational hurdles and strategies to further raise regional transit efficiency.

In this article, Asli Çalik, member of IRU’s Presidential Executive, reflects on a hopeful shift in Türkiye – and calls on others to follow its lead.

At the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) ministerial meeting yesterday, IRU made a clear case: trade thrives where transport is digital and drivers are professional.

Road transport operators are beginning to invest in new vehicles. But for the decarbonisation transition to succeed, the sector needs clear, coordinated support. EU policymakers and road transport industry leaders are coming together to debate practical and scalable solutions to deliver environmental and economic benefits at IRU’s high-level event tomorrow in Brussels.

Digitalisation and eTIR are the future of trade facilitation. IRU’s Secretary General has urged customs authorities in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) region to accelerate adoption to unlock growth and greater efficiency across borders.

IRU was at the heart of last week’s International Transport Forum (ITF) summit in Leipzig, championing pragmatic solutions to make road transport not only greener, but also more resilient and competitive in the face of global challenges.

The Secretary General of IRU, the world road transport organisation, outlined a pragmatic decarbonisation vision at a special closed-door ministers’ roundtable yesterday in Leipzig. Today, he charted the key to a resilient workforce primed for emergency preparedness.

Leading the dialogue on the future of automation in road transport at EUCAD 2025, IRU organised a workshop on AI and logistics, ensuring that the voice of operators was central to Europe’s cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) agenda.

Border delays, permit digitalisation, and visa hurdles dominated discussions at BSEC-URTA’s General Assembly last week, as regional leaders tackled urgent threats to road transport and trade in the Black Sea region.

With China TIR operations surging 90% over the past year, IRU members from China and across Eurasia convened in Geneva to explore new routes, expand logistics hubs, and unlock untapped transit potential.

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.

The Upply x Ti x IRU European road freight rates index for Europe shows that Q1 2025 contract rates fell by 2.3 points quarter on quarter (q-o-q). Spot rates declined more sharply, 3.8 points q-o-q. However, the spot index was up by 1.6 points, and the contract index rose by 0.4 points, year on year (y-o-y).

IRU joins the global call this week for safer roads, reinforcing the need to formalise, professionalise and certify the commercial road transport sector across the globe.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, welcomes integrated supply chain leader Sesé as its newest member in a shared effort to advance sustainability, efficiency and innovation.

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.

Leading Swedish operator LBC Frakt is investing heavily in low- and zero-emission transport. What it needs now is not more targets, but rather pragmatic support to scale up progress.

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.

With driver shortages looming large, Türkiye’s trucking industry is hitting the brakes on gender imbalance.

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.

Trucks connect every corner of this vast country, ensuring that no region is left behind. It’s a story of logistics, yes – but also of national integration and economic lifeblood. What’s next for this critical sector? We asked its representative body, IRU member NTC&Logística.

How far along is the road freight sector on its journey to net-zero? We shared exclusive insights from the IRU Green Compact survey during our latest webinar with leading players from the sector, revealing how companies are navigating challenges and reshaping investment strategies and operations.

IRU welcomes Germany’s coalition agreement as a step forward for a pragmatic and enabling approach to decarbonising commercial road transport. But the lack of concrete support measures for clean fuels alongside zero-emission vehicles is a missed opportunity.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, welcomes Rui'an Transportation Group as a new member, marking a strategic step in the company’s ambition to expand its international road freight business with the TIR system.

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.

The Chinese logistics firm looks to expand its TIR operations and raise the efficiency of intermodal transport.

What’s next in the digitalisation of logistics? FedEx shares its vision and move to pre-operational intelligence.

Why aren’t more Brazilian women benefiting from the truck driving profession? IVECO is working to change this with Caminhos para Elas. More than half of the women who participated in the programme's first year have already secured employment.

Edenred, a worldwide leader in specific-purpose payments and mobility solutions, is set to amplify its service through IRU events, market intelligence and industry advocacy.

As the EU grapples with an ageing workforce, IRU made the case for tapping third-country drivers to help ease growing shortages at the recent THAMM Plus event in Tunis, Tunisia.

Tariff volatility is putting increasing pressure on cross-border trucking operations. Following IRU’s North American Transportation Forum Dialogue with industry leaders last month in Washington, DC, the Mexican government invited Senior Adviser Martin Rojas to further explore the impact of tariff policies on the region’s supply chains.

Parcel delivery and commerce solutions market leader Geopost has become the world road transport organisation’s newest member.

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.