Freight Transport Association chief executive Richard Turner went head to head with his European counterparts last week to answer charges of xenophobia about the 'Tell us who you are" campaign.
The FTA and the Road Haulage Association had called on the UK government to introduce a system of collecting information from visiting truck operators and drivers in a bid to "protect the integrity of UK road safety".
Following the campaign launch, the FTA received a number of letters from European organisations about its stance towards foreign trucks - more than one accused the association of xenophobia.
Turner says: "Some people thought we were attacking the road haulage industry and that highlighting poor vehicles was bad for the industry's image." He stresses it is a question of safety rather than image - a view supported by VOSA figures which show high rates of offending among foreign operators.
"I told them we weren't going to allow these vehicles to compromise the best lorry safety record in Europe," Turner adds.
Germany and Norway are among countries to support the FTA view, saying they have experienced similar problems.
