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.
How can road transport reinforce its competitiveness? What¡¯s causing a rise in cargo crime? What can be done to achieve decarbonisation goals? How can driver attraction and retention be improved? What¡¯s the economic outlook?
Last week, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵmembers gathered in Geneva to address these critical challenges, culminating in the General Assembly¡¯s adoption of a call to action on competitiveness.
The call urges governments, regulators and other industry stakeholders to drive a three-step plan ¨C through simplification, digitalisation and harmonisation ¨C to reinforce the efficiency of road transport and allow it to contribute more effectively to national and regional economic competitiveness
The two days also featured a host of panels and presentations.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵSenior Director of Strategy and Development Vincent Erard moderated a panel on competitiveness. The panellists ¨C Firas Altaweel (Global Director Customs Policy & Compliance, Huawei), Graham Vidler (CEO, Confederation of Passenger Transport), Pierre-Alain Saclier (Global Consumer and Retail Sector Leader, CEVA Logistics), Ramiro Montemayor (CFO, Transportes Mon-Ro) and Zhang Jingyu (Chairman, HPF) ¨C explored how competitiveness varies globally, what level of regulation works best, and how to partner with regulators.
A second panel, moderated by ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵGoods Transport Council Vice President Bob Costello, unpacked the evolving threats of cargo crime, logistics scams and fraud risks. The panellists ¨C Doug McKelway (Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation), Gino Laios (Global Senior Manager Security Programs, Transported Asset Protection Association), Lisa T Lewis (Security Director Security and Operational Risks, DP World), Mike Yarwood (Senior Loss Prevention Executive, TT Club) and Zoltan Bayer (Head of Logistics, Huawei) ¨C highlighted solutions to the challenges of cargo crime for supply chains and operators.
The Goods Transport Council also adopted an action plan to address visa challenges facing truck drivers and discussed skills recognition and digital transport documents. Pragmatic approaches to decarbonisation were on the agenda too, with a truck testing the viability of alternative fuels across Europe () making a stop at the venue.
The ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵPassenger Transport Council featured presentations on key trends in the bus and coach sector, the UK¡¯s ¡°coach-friendly status¡± campaign, Sweden¡¯s two-year initiative to attract drivers, and a Belgian school project aimed at engaging young drivers. Council members also shared updates on changing passenger demand and the uptake of zero-emission vehicles. Their input showed that while the transition to zero-emission urban buses is progressing relatively well, the shift to zero-emission coaches remains limited.
Other sessions over the course of the two days covered economic developments and industry trends; China¡¯s Belt and Road Initiative and the role of TIR; the emergence of Iraq¡¯s trucking sector with TIR now live in the country; the strategic importance of Brazil¡¯s road transport industry, particularly in light of how TIR can maximise the potential of the Bioceanic Corridor linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; and a feasibility study on the use of existing renewable fuels.
Lastly, following member approval of the organisation¡¯s 2024 financial accounts at the General Assembly, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵpublished its annual report. It highlights notable outcomes in advocacy, the TIR system, certification and standards, intelligence, and events ¨C both globally and across seven strategic regions, reflecting a year that demonstrated the resilience of road transport.
