ATA

The favorite argument from those supporting the ATA’s teen trucker push is “if they can go to war at 18, they can drive a truck at 18.” Military service transforms young people into disciplined, responsible adults who understand that their decisions affect others. That’s why military-trained drivers have 42% fewer accidents. The solution isn’t younger drivers; it’s requiring the standards that make military drivers safer. We’ve lost something fundamental in how we raise our young people, and the highway data proves it.

The ATA wants FMCSA to extend a failed pilot program that produced 42 graduates out of a planned 3,000. Meanwhile, we’re handing CDLs to drivers who can’t pass basic safety screenings, and carriers who kill people on our highways are walking away with slaps on the wrist. Lowering the age requirement doesn’t solve a labor problem; it creates a safety catastrophe.

Federal regulators are holding off a decision on 18-20-year-old truck drivers, eventually forcing a choice between big-fleet expansion and small-business wage protection.

Editorial CommentaryThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of FreightWaves or its staff. 2025 is almost behind us, and it has been a tumultuous year for the American trucking industry, as major policy changes coming from the Trump Administration have shaken it to the frame rails. […]

Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with hundreds of senior executives at America’s largest trucking companies. Nearly all say they only recently discovered the massive influx of foreign drivers and motor carriers. Most assumed the trend was gradual; none realized it was exponential. Few had ever heard the term “non-domiciled CDL” until this summer […]

The ‘driver shortage’ myth might finally die.

When adjusted for inflation, truck driver wages have grown 1.1% in 15 years.

The American trucking industry is facing unprecedented challenges, marked by a deepening economic crisis and deteriorating highway safety standards. While supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to the transportation sector, the narrative surrounding these issues has been largely mischaracterized, particularly regarding the nature and extent of the purported truck driver shortage in […]

The trucking industry finds itself mired in one of the most protracted freight recessions on record, a predicament exacerbated by a flood of capacity that has outstripped demand. This surplus stems from an industry with negligible barriers to entry, where supply can readily overshoot, challenging the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) persistent claim of a perpetual […]

The American Trucking Associations (ATA), once the pre-eminent voice of the trucking industry, is losing ground. Its president, Chris Spear, is not pleased. Last week, I posted on X a chart from SONAR, based on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data, showing that independent owner-operators are capturing a growing share of the trucking industry […]

The trucking industry’s “driver shortage” debate has persisted for decades. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) claims a chronic shortage since 1987, citing nine studies. Yet, researchers and industry experts argue the labor market functions well when freight demand is strong. A December 2024 study by Professors Jonathan Phares, Jason Miller, and Stephen Burks, published by […]

There is no easy fix: Enhancing trucking safety and driver competence, as well as combating CDL fraud, will take an all-hands-on-deck effort at every level of government.

Roehl Transport wins the American Trucking Associations’ President’s Award for the fifth time, cementing the company’s reputation as the gold standard in truckload carrier safety.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to revoke two trucking-related Environmental Protection Agency waivers granted to California.

Recent tariffs levied by the Trump administration have various trucking groups warning of greater risks, while others take a wait-and-see approach.

RXO recently released its Q1 2025 Truckload Market Forecast, with its Curve Index showing a continuation of rate inflation first observed in Q4 2024.

A recent FMCSA-sponsored study looking at the impacts of pay and working conditions on long-distance truck and bus drivers also calls into question claims of a persistent driver shortage.

ATA economist Bob Costello cites macroeconomic “return to normalcy” as a promising sign for trucking amid stagflation and private fleet growth.

A recent ATA Driver Compensation Study shows median truckload driver salaries are up 10% in two years despite the poor freight market.

The American Trucking Associations’ “Nothing Without Trucking” initiative is an effective rebranding of ATA’s efforts to educate the public and lawmakers about the industry, experts say.