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Delivering Annual report 2022

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Delivering for people and communities

IRU and the industry were once again called upon to deliver safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics during challenging times in 2022.

For IRU, this year took us back full circle to long-standing challenges such as road safety, border crossings, trade efficiency and security – and, increasingly so, driver shortages, decarbonisation and digitalisation.

Radu Dinescu President

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Our vision

In 2022, IRU focused on delivering safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics during challenging times.

Safe

Safety is our highest priority. People are at the heart of our industry. We strive to make road transport safe for our passengers, drivers, workers and all others on the road.

  • EU Mobility
    Package

    We became the catalyst and central focus point for collecting questions on the EU’s Mobility Package 1 rules, triggering a public response from the European Commission.

  • Advisory
    services

    We kicked off a project to improve road safety across UNHCR’s operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • RoadMasters

    We issued 3,670 IRU RoadMasters certifications to drivers in 2022.

Efficient

Efficiency is instinctive to transport companies. Keeping road transport services running well means that mobility and logistics networks are stronger, advancing social harmony and economic prosperity.

  • TIR operations

    We expanded TIR in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, with DB Schenker and FedEx Express completing their first TIR operations.

  • Freight rate
    benchmark

    We continued to publish quarterly European Road Freight Rate Benchmark reports with our partners Ti and Upply.

  • Black Sea
    permits

    We successfully lobbied to increase Black Sea bilateral permits, which is especially relevant given the rise in freight volumes due to the war in Ukraine.

Green

Green transport has been on our agenda for decades. Moving people and their goods sustainably and in harmony with our natural environment guides our work in making commercial road mobility and logistics even greener.

  • EU’s Fit for 55

    We advocated for improvements to the Fit for 55 proposal. Key points made by IRU on infrastructure and information systems were included in the final package.

  • Accelerating
    decarbonisation

    We organised a North American Transportation Forum with IRU members on how road transport operators can accelerate the pace of decarbonisation.

  • Eco-driving

    We released a new RoadMasters programme to help companies assess their eco-driving performance and increase fuel efficiency by 15%.

A global
mission

IRU brings together business, partnering with those who regulate, serve and use our industry, to deliver our vision.

We are the trusted voice for the industry, steering the agenda with global advocacy.

We facilitate transport, especially for cross-border services and keeping trade moving with TIR.

We champion excellence, with a focus on training, certification and standards.

We provide intelligence, information and foresight into the future of the industry.

We bring our members, regulators and the industry together at events through the year.

We deliver our global mission with, and for, our membership.

Advocacy

Steering the
agenda

IRU advances the interests of the commercial road transport sector, working closely with members, as well as governments, regulators and international organisations.

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TIR

Keeping trade
moving

IRU runs the TIR system in more than 60 countries worldwide, lowering transport costs and making trade more secure and efficient.

Learn more about TIR
Certification and standards

Championing
professionnal excellence

IRU’s certification and standards team drives professional excellence in road transport with innovative solutions to help companies manage their talent pool, and works with governments to formalise and professionalise the industry.

Learn more about IRU Certification and Standards
Intelligence

Foresight on the future

Advanced research, partners and grassroots knowledge allow IRU to provide unique business and market intelligence on the road transport sector.

Learn more about the Intelligence Platform
Events

Bringing the industry together

IRU is a global community of road transport professionals, helping members access and network with companies, authorities and organisations in more than 120 countries.

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Membership

Welcome to the team

We welcomed 16 new members into the IRU family in 2022, bringing the total to 176 members in 77 countries.

Learn more about IRU membership

Delivering
around the
world

With more than 170 members on six continents, and active partners and relationships in over 120 countries, IRU’s reach and work spans seven strategic regions.

Map

Americas

Working with members in North and South America, IRU works on trade and cross-border transportation issues, supporting in addition the long-term use of TIR in South America.

Black Sea

Centred on the countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organisation, IRU supports members, governments and regional organisations on trade and transport issues.

China

IRU works closely with Chinese transport and customs authorities and its members, representing transport operators and shippers, on cross-border logistics and mobility issues.

Eurasia

IRU’s work on commercial road transport in Eurasia covers member associations and regional intergovernmental organisations across 13 countries.

European Union

EU institutions in Brussels are the centre of IRU’s work across the European Union, covering a wide range of passenger and goods transport advocacy, and EU-funded research projects.

Middle East

Work in the Middle East spans North Africa across to the Gulf Cooperation Council, with a focus on trade and TIR in the region, and passenger transport in key countries.

West and Central Asia

IRU’s work in this region spans the
ten nations of the Economic Cooperation
Organization, from Türkiye, Iran,
Pakistan north-eastwards to Kazakhstan,
as well as India.

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The journey continues

We remain focused on delivering a safer, more efficient and greener road transport industry.

2023 will be a special year for IRU, as we celebrate our 75th anniversary. Not every organisation reaches 75 years. Achieving this extraordinary milestone is a testament to our members and many partners in both public and private spheres.


This IRU family is made up of millions of companies, associations and people across the planet who, with us, are dedicated to making the world and its mobility networks and supply chains better. We look forward to continuing to deliver in 2023 and beyond.

Umberto de Pretto Secretary General

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Our members

IRU serves, represents, defends and works with its members every day. Our members are national and regional passenger and goods transport associations and leading multinational companies in mobility and logistics from all corners of the world. They are at the heart of everything we do.

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