At 19, Charlene Kerkhof is proving that young professionals are ready to drive the future of road transport. Growing up in the Netherlands with a trucking family, she turned her passion into a career. Now, she’s mastering the road while calling for better opportunities to help more young drivers succeed.

Over 20 organisations have called on the European Commission to conduct an early, technology-neutral revision of the CO₂ standard regulations, and provide the enabling conditions and incentives needed for a further uptake of clean vehicles.

The Clean Industrial Deal recognises the role of competitiveness in achieving decarbonisation goals. However, it overlooks critical sectors that support manufacturing and provide essential clean mobility services. Ensuring all decarbonisation solutions are implemented in a cost-effective manner is equally essential.

At the EU- and ILO-backed THAMM Plus event in Rabat, Morocco, this week, IRU outlined how improving driver mobility from third countries to the EU tackles two challenges: chronic driver shortages and subpar professional qualification standards.

Young professionals like Lucie and Timeo are part of a new generation of highly trained, safety-conscious truck drivers, ready to take on the challenges of a vital industry. But can they?

At a key FIA event during the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, IRU stressed the need to better support road transport companies in enhancing standards.

IRU’s new Intelligence Briefing analyses the most recent EU road freight figures and provides a forecast up to 2030.