I’ve had a few trucks with TIR plates on them.
TIR was set up by the IRU in 1949 and was designed so that if a container / truck was inspected while being loaded and also sealed by a certified member it could then continue for the remainder of it’s international journey unhindered… as long as the seal was unbroken.
In recent years the IRU also tried to initiate. NETI… New Eurasian Transportation Initiative which was designed to do over land transport from China to Europe. I’m not really sure what happened to NETI . it got going around 2002 after some brave European drivers had spent a few years trying to sort out a bunch “bureaucratic situations” and different routes. I would like to think it’s still going as a lot of people spent a load of time on it. But there doesn’t seem to be any sign of it after 2009.
A few of my work mates did a course in Swiss before our initial run, unfortunately most of the border guards along the way did their best to knock the wheels of that particular band wagon. The only person that we met that was even slightly interested in the scheme was the Fat Controller who was in charge of the rail yard at Almaty. The IRU also gave us the CMR … and still to come is the E TIR… The IRU along with TIR in now recognised in 60 countries…
Many years ago if you were a poser and ran through France with a TIR plate but weren’t on an international journey then the Douang (or however you spell it) would expect you to buy them a very large coffee.
I still have one of my old TIR plates hanging on the wall of my shed… and have been known from time to time to stick it to the front of my truck. Last time I had it on for a recent Interstate trip I was pulled at every Government check point. They didn’t know what it was for but they thought it must be worth investigating. I took it after about 500k’s after being pulled 3 times.
Saudi is part of IRU but they were late to sign up… how ever they used to make their own rules on the spot when the feeling took them. Iran was also part of the IUR but it also never stopped them ripping into your truck if they felt like it. Libya also had an understanding with the IRU… Questionable…
Jeff…