Drivers and cargo at risk: EU needs more safe and secure truck parking
Employers, trade unions and parking operators are urging the European Commission to maintain a focused approach to certifying, upgrading, building, and funding safe and secure truck parking areas in the EU over the next three years.
IRU, ETF call for EU action on third-country driver rights and conditions
IRU and ETF delivered their joint statement on third-country drivers to the EU Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner today. Both organisations commit to working together to enhance the working conditions of third-country drivers, in full respect of their rights.
IRU at Connecting Europe Days: key insights
IRU addressed the urgent need for better alternative fuel options, secure parking solutions and road transport’s role in multimodal transport at Connecting Europe Days in Brussels.
Smart tachographs in the EU: The Dutch perspective
With the EU’s tachograph retrofitting process underway, we caught up with our member Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) to get their perspective on how the industry is dealing with the new devices and where next for this technology.
IRU unpacks latest bus and coach developments in Mexico City
At the coveted biennial Expo Movilidad, IRU discussed key decarbonisation, digitalisation and driver shortage challenges and opportunities with leading bus and coach companies, manufacturers, suppliers and public authorities.
Platform Workers Directive: National implementation is now key
EU Member States have reached a last-minute consensus on the Platform Workers Directive, aiming to regulate the gig economy while accommodating diverse national models. The focus now turns to national implementation.
Drivers and cargo at risk: EU urgently needs more secure truck parking
IRU has reiterated the urgent need for more safe and secure parking areas at a conference in the European Parliament. The debate was followed by the European Truck Parking Award ceremony. The winners are located in France and Spain.
Respect drivers: A targeted and intelligence-led enforcement for Europe
IRU outlined key measures to improve the treatment of drivers during roadside checks and to digitalise control documents at a high-level conference on road control organised by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Mobilising Poland’s road transport know-how for Europe and beyond
IRU member EwiCenter equips operators and drivers with information, data and software to set wages, navigate the EU’s Mobility Package and boost the attractiveness of the driver profession. We caught up with the company’s CEO, Mariusz Hendzel, to better understand how.
Our young bus and coach drivers are safe and Europe’s future
A young bus or coach driver is often viewed – mistakenly – as being unsafe. But with the training that they undergo, they become skilled and reliable professional drivers on par with their older colleagues, safely performing a vital societal service. In this article, Meyering Verkehrsbetriebe’s Bus & Coach Business Manager and Trainer explains just why we need to revisit our perception of young bus and coach drivers.
Vote beyond myths: Back EU transport committee’s pragmatic licence position
Young professional drivers in the EU have been the target of a misguided safety campaign. The European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) provides concrete steps to address the EU’s youth unemployment and driver shortage while carefully considering and addressing road safety aspects. Its vision should be endorsed by the plenary.
French protests: European Commission weighs options with IRU
IRU and its member federations from France, Romania and Spain have met with EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean on actions to protect drivers and road transport services amid the ongoing French farmer protests.
Have you ever driven a truck? Reinventing driver training
Surprised by the training system for truck drivers in his country, IRU New Industry Shaper Lenno Põder decided to become a truck driver himself to truly understand the profession. He now offers accessible, innovative and inclusive training in Estonia.
Rocking the boat: Setting up scalable, profitable truck parking in months
The lack of safe and secure parking areas is a fundamental challenge facing the road transport industry. What are the solutions? Charles Anderson, CEO of IRU member Freightsafe, told us why its modern, secure and cost-effective approach is central to the future of truck parking.
Global driver shortages: 2023 year in review
In 2023, IRU, backed with on-the-ground information from its members, continued to report and analyse global driver shortages: a chronic issue threatening mobility networks and supply chains. This article offers an overview of some of IRU’s efforts to analyse the situation, raise awareness and advance solutions.
EU driving licence: Parliament displays leadership in driver shortage fight
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.
Mixed progress on EU driving licence and coach tourism driver rules
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 and Iranian road transport sector rally behind road safety
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.
Global truck driver shortage to double by 2028, says new IRU report
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.
EU road transport industry supports cross-party coach driver agreement
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.
Mongolian president meets IRU for high-level talks on trade and transport
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.
Operators, drivers and parking groups call for urgent EU truck parking deal
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.
Skilled drivers are critical to overcoming key industry challenges
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.
Upfront EU-wide criteria needed to maintain self-employment in Europe
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.