National Lorry Week celebrates the people, businesses and vehicles that keep the UK moving. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the wider impact of transport and logistics beyond our own roads and borders.

This year's theme, "The road that connects everything", recognises that transport connects businesses with customers, communities with essential services and people with opportunities. Few examples demonstrate that more powerfully than the work carried out by Transaid, the international development organisation supported by the transport and logistics industry.

Earlier this year, RHA Head of Communications Jo Dawson-Gerrard visited Zambia as part of the RHA's charity partnership with Transaid to see first-hand how transport solutions and professional driver training are helping save lives and strengthen communities. Her story is below.

When most of us think about transport, we think about moving goods, serving customers, keeping supply chains moving and getting people home safely at the end of the day. A recent visit to Zambia with Transaid was a powerful reminder that transport can also mean access to healthcare, safer roads and, in some cases, the difference between life and death.

As part of the RHA's charity partnership with Transaid, I joined representatives from several transport and logistics organisations on a visit to see first-hand how the charity is improving lives through transport solutions and professional driver training.

The trip began with a seven-hour journey from Lusaka to rural communities in Serenje and Chitambo Districts.

The journey itself provided an insight into the challenges facing road users. Road conditions can vary dramatically, with sections of good tarmac giving way to potholes, uneven surfaces and roads that narrow considerably. Along the way we passed several crashed HGVs at the roadside. Seeing them first-hand brought home the realities of operating on these roads and reinforced the importance of professional driver training and road safety.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by local communities, many of whom had travelled significant distances to meet us. Through song, dance and role play, community members demonstrated how Transaid's Emergency Transport Scheme operates.

At first glance, the bicycle ambulances used within the programme appear simple. However, they form part of a much wider community-led system involving trained volunteer riders, community health volunteers, maintenance funds, secure storage facilities and partnerships with local health services.

The scheme helps reduce delays in accessing healthcare by providing emergency transport to health facilities and hospitals. It is particularly important for expectant mothers experiencing complications during labour and for children suffering from severe illnesses such as malaria.

One of the most memorable aspects of the visit was hearing directly from mothers whose lives, and the lives of their children, had been saved through timely access to healthcare made possible by the bicycle ambulances. Seeing the children who had benefited from the scheme brought home the very real impact of what might otherwise be seen as a simple transport intervention.

What was equally impressive was the pride and ownership demonstrated by the communities themselves. Volunteers are highly respected and the schemes are designed to become self-sustaining, with local ownership at their heart.

The second part of the visit focused on road safety and skills development at Zambia's Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka.

Supported by Transaid since 2008, the ITC is Zambia's principal government provider of transport and logistics training and has trained more than 25,000 drivers. The centre plays a vital role in raising professional standards across the transport sector and improving road safety.

During the visit, we observed both HGV and forklift truck training in action. Industry volunteers from The Malcolm Group and Iron Mountain were sharing their expertise and best practice with instructors and trainees, helping to strengthen professional standards and improve road safety outcomes. Seeing this knowledge transfer first-hand demonstrated the real value of collaboration between Transaid and its transport industry partners.

The visit also highlighted the importance of industry support. Many of the vehicles, trailers, equipment and expertise supporting the centre have been provided through Transaid's network of transport industry partners. These contributions help strengthen local capability and ensure the centre can continue developing the next generation of professional drivers and transport professionals.

Throughout the week, one message became increasingly clear: transport changes outcomes.

Whether it is helping a mother reach a health facility in time, improving the skills of a professional driver, or reducing the likelihood of a collision, effective transport solutions have the power to transform lives.

The RHA is proud to support Transaid and the work it carries out across sub-Saharan Africa. Visiting these projects first-hand was both humbling and inspiring, providing a powerful reminder of the positive impact our industry can have when it works together to address real-world challenges.

As National Lorry Week reminds us, transport is about far more than moving goods from A to B.

Whether it's delivering food to supermarket shelves, helping businesses serve their customers, connecting communities or providing access to healthcare in some of the world's most remote locations, transport changes lives.

The stories from Zambia are a powerful reminder that wherever we are in the world, transport remains the road that connects everything.

For more information about Transaid, its work and how you can get involved, visit www.transaid.org.