Impacts on the trucking industry’s workforce, predatory towing, adding drivers through international work permits, and marijuana decriminalization are among the topics the American Transportation Research Institute will focus its work on this year.
ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee selected its top 2022 research priorities earlier this year; its board of directors recently approved the list. Marijuana decriminalization’s impact on the trucking industry was the only top 2021 research topic also to make ATRI’s 2022 research agenda. Each year, dozens of topic proposals are made by ATRI members and outside parties before being whittled down to a top five by the advisory committee.
See also: Driver shortage tops ATRI’s 2021 trucking issues list
Here’s a look at ATRI’s 2022 research priorities:
Marijuana: Impacts of decriminalization on trucking
As more states decriminalize marijuana and other Schedule I drugs, this institute wants to update ATRI’s 2019 report on the impacts of recreational marijuana. The year, it will examine roadway safety and workforce impacts in those states that have changed their controlled substance laws.
Industry impacts from predatory towing
There are several forms of predatory towing in the trucking industry, according to ATRI. It can include tow operators parking near known crash locations, taking possession of vehicles, and charging exorbitant rates to release vehicles and cargo.
This year’s ATRI research on commercial vehicle towing aims to quantify the extent of the predatory problems and identify best practices from states that have successfully addressed unscrupulous tow operators through legislation.
Efficacy of driver training on safety outcomes and driver retention
ATRI named driver shortage and retention the top two industry concerns of 2021. This year, the research institute wants to see how initial driver training contributes to the successful and safe integration of new entrants into trucking. This work would update a similar 2008 ATRI study.
How EB-3 Work Permits could mitigate truck driver shortage
Expanding the potential driver population through EB-3 Work Permits is the focus of the next research topic. This ATRI research will explore the potential for recruiting drivers from outside the U.S. through the employer-sponsored EB-3 Work Permit.
SEC climate rule impacts on the trucking industry
The SEC climate rule’s potential impact on the trucking industry is another top research priority for ATRI this year. This research would quantify the potential effects on the industry and its supply chains, focusing on possible of new SEC climate rules’ Scope 3 reporting requirements. In particular, ATRI wants to document entities within the supply chain of publicly traded companies that will have to report carbon outputs.
