Economy continues to be trucking’s top concern going into 2025

How fleet executives' and truck drivers’ top concerns differ

More than 3,700 trucking industry stakeholders participated in this year's survey, including motor carriers, truck drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement. The economy was again the top issue for the motor carrier subset this year. Truck parking was this year’s top issue for drivers, flipping spots with driver compensation, which topped the 2023 list. 

"Without question, this has been another tough year for the trucking industry," said Gregg Troian, president of PGT Trucking (No. 102 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire). "Our costs continued to climb while freight demand struggled. But each year, we can count on ATRI's analysis to not only quantify the issues but, more importantly, what we can collectively do as an industry to address each."

Along with the economy and parking, industry stakeholders are more concerned with nuclear verdicts. Lawsuit abuse reform, which ranked No. 10 in 2022 and No. 6 in 2023, rose to No. 3 this year; while insurance cost and availability jumped eight spots to No. 4 after lurking outside the top 10 in ‘22 and ‘23. 

Other issues rising on the list were battery electric vehicles (up four spots) and detention/delay (up one place).

Top 10 trucking industry concerns of 2024

For 20 years, ATRI has reached out annually to trucking industry stakeholders to gauge what issues are most prominent in the minds of fleet executives, drivers, and others. Motor carrier executives and personnel made up 45.9% of survey respondents; truck drivers represented 31.3%; and other industry stakeholders (including suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement) made up the other 22.8% 

Here is a look at this year’s respondents' view of trucking going into 2025. 

1. Economy (No. 1 in 2023)

For the second straight year, concern over the economy was the top-ranked trucking industry issue. ATRI researchers noted that the combined impacts of rising operational costs, the lingering freight recession, and declining freight rates make the economy a top concern for motor carriers and drivers alike. 

ATRI’s annual Operational Costs of Trucking research earlier this year documented industry cost increases of more than 22% over the past two years, resulting in the highest recorded costs in the research’s 16-year history. Several economic uncertainties remain for the remainder of the year, including fallout from the three-day East Coast port strike, impacts from major hurricanes, and the November presidential and congressional elections.

See also: ‘Death, taxes, and distribution’: Analysts on what election means for trucking

“It’s tough to run a trucking company,” Troian said during the ATRI presentation here. “I think what's made it worse is the boom times that we had just a few years ago makes this look even worse.”

He suggested that fleets can get through these tougher times “if you continue to work hard at getting freight and keeping your trucks loaded. Be smart about the freight you accept, stay loyal to customers, continue providing service, and pay your drivers.

“Sounds easy, I know, but if you do that, I think you can get through this tough time,” Troian continued. “We've had some bad months recently, but we also had some months of surprises. So I'm not discouraged. I think we can pull through this.”

2. Truck parking (No. 2 in 2023)

For the second year in a row, the lack of available truck parking is the industry’s second biggest concern; among truck drivers, it ranked No. 1. The issue has ranked among ATRI’s top five concerns every year since 2015.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded over $292 million in grants to deploy a regional truck parking information system to expand truck parking capacity along Interstate 5 in Washington, Oregon, and California. 

ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee identified truck parking expansion at public rest areas as a top research priority in 2023, and ATRI is currently collaborating with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on that research. 

See also: FMCSA outlines latest truck parking safety initiatives

3. Lawsuit abuse reform (No. 6 in 2023)

Lawsuit abuse reform reached its highest ranking in the 20-year history of ATRI’s Top Industry Issues Survey. No. 3 overall, motor carrier respondents ranked it No. 2 after the economy. The topic, previously referred to as tort reform, is one of three issues, along with the driver shortage and insurance cost/availability, that ranked among the Top 10 concerns in the inaugural ATRI top issues survey in 2005 and 2024. 

Lawsuit abuse reform and insurance cost/availability are linked, as ATRI research has documented the impact of growing legal verdicts and settlements against the industry and the resulting impact on commercial auto insurance premiums.

See also: ‘Nuclear’ verdict numbers, threat to trucking continue apace

4. Insurance cost/availability (Not ranked in 2023)

Insurance cost and availability ranked as a top 10 issue overall in the inaugural survey 20 years ago and most recently made the top 10 in 2021. Since then, ATRI research documented continuing increases in truck insurance premiums paid by motor carriers.

As noted in the lawsuit abuse reform (No. 3), the premium increase is partly driven by losses resulting from excessive litigation. In this year’s survey, ATRI notes just 25 votes separated lawsuit abuse reform and insurance cost/availability, further demonstrating the intricate link between the two.   

See also: How carriers can best manage insurance costs and risks

5. Driver compensation (No. 5 in 2023)

Driver Compensation ranked No. 5 for the second consecutive year, but among truck drivers, it was No. 2. While ATRI’s 2024 Operational Costs of Trucking research showed a 7.6% driver wage increase overall in the industry, that was just an average, as smaller fleets (those with 25 or fewer trucks) saw a slight dip in driver pay this year as freight rates fell. 

See also: Does your fleet have a driver pay problem or a messaging problem?

6. Battery electric vehicles (No. 10 in 2023)

Challenges associated with the government mandates and timelines for electrifying heavy-duty trucking moved BEVs up ATRI’s top 10 issues list. Previously listed as “zero-emission vehicles,” the topic ranked No. 10 last year. 

ATRI research documented several electrification challenges, ranging from vehicle costs to less cargo space. Because of the massive battery weight, it would take more EVs to deliver the same amount of freight that diesel equipment can handle. 

The industry is firmly committed to reducing its environmental footprint, and the data illustrates how successful those efforts have been thus far, with emissions from new trucks reduced by more than 98% since the mid-1980s. Research has also shown that there are alternatives to vehicle electrification that achieve more significant carbon reductions while costing significantly less than purchasing all new BEVs, according to ATRI.

See also: Where regulators' push for heavy-duty EVs falls short

7. CSA: Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (Not ranked in 2023)

Compliance, Safety, and Accountability, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s safety measurement system, is back in ATRI’s top 10 after dropping off the 2023 list. 

FMCSA first implemented CSA 14 years ago. Despite numerous updates and changes to the scoring methodologies, carriers still have concerns about how the agency evaluates and scores their safety performance, ATRI noted.

See also: Four ways to avoid CSA violations

8. Detention/delay at customer facilities (No. 9 in 2023)

Detention/delay at customer facilities debuted in ATRI’s 2019 top 10 at No. 4. It hasn’t ranked that high yet but did move up one spot from No. 9 in 2023 to No. 8 this year. 

ATRI’s latest detention research found that the industry lost 135.9 million hours of driver productivity in 2023, resulting in more than $11 billion in lost revenue. Detention also poses a safety risk, as ATRI found that detained drivers drove 14.6% faster than drivers who were not detained and waiting at shipper facilities. 

See also: The hidden costs of waiting: How truck fleets are combatting delays and detention

9. Driver shortage (No. 4 in 2023)

In its 20-year history, driver shortage has never ranked lower on ATRI’s top issues list than it does this year, Brewster noted during her MCE presentation. ATRI researchers noted that economic and regulatory matters are overshadowing challenges in finding qualified drivers. And with the 2024 freight recession continuing, fleets are doing less hiring this year. 

However, ATRI notes that there are still an estimated 60,000 driver job openings and expects that number to grow when freight demand returns and aging drivers continue to contemplate retirement. 

See also: Fleets Explained: Trucking industry careers

10. Driver distraction (No. 7 in 2023)

After debuting in 2014, driver distraction dropped off the top 10 list until last year, when it ranked No. 7. Among law enforcement respondents to this year’s survey, distraction was the top concern. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3,308 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2022 that were attributed to distraction.

See also: Distracted driving trends up despite awareness

The complete report can be downloaded at ATRI's website.