AUSTIN, Texas — The unsteady U.S. economy topped the list of trucking industry issues, the highest ranking since the Great Recession in 2008, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual survey of top-of-mind concerns for carriers and commercial drivers.
Economic jitters replaced fuel prices at the top of the report revealed Saturday at the American Truck Associations Management Conference and Exhibition. Fuel prices, on the rise for much of the year except for a brief respite from March top June, fell to third. Truck parking availability finished second, its highest finish since first making the list in 2012.
Zero-emission vehicles appeared on the list for the first time, occupying the No. 10 position.
“It’s been a ride for the past year. It’s been tough,” said Cari Baylor, president of Baylor Trucking, an Indiana-based 75-year-old company operating 200 trucks, 980 trailers and two terminals in the eastern and southern U.S. Baylor was acquired by Werner Enterprises in October 2022.
Rising interest rates, higher diesel and maintenance costs, increasing pay for truckers and rising insurance premiums drove the operating cost of a truck to $2.25 per mile in 2022. That’s the first time it has exceeded $2 in history, according to ATRI’s analysis in a downloadable separate report.
Truck parking a hardy perennial
Truck parking, which has been a Top 5 issue since 2015, came in at No. 2. ATRI has been studying truck parking since 1993. A congressionally directed study to look at the issue began the same year, ATRI President Rebecca Brewster said.
According to ATRI, truck drivers spend an average of 56 minutes a day looking for parking. It found there is just one spot for every 11 truck drivers. The parking problem has worsened since full enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate in 2018. That requires truck drivers to do all their driving within a 14-hour window.
Rather than engaging in the dangerous practice of parking near freeway off-ramps or squatting in retail parking lots, Baylor authorizes its long-haul drivers to pay for overnight parking if needed. Technology like highway signage with near real-time alerts of open spaces at upcoming rest stops helps, but it hasn’t solved the issue.
Driver shortage falls to lowest position since Great Recession
After fuel prices at No. 3, the rest of the Top 10 issues were:
4. Driver shortage. It was No. 1 for five consecutive years from 2017-2021. The issue shows up annually. The driver shortage, especially for over-the-road jobs, is less of an issue during slower economic times. The issue was No. 6 during the Great Recession in 2009.
5. Driver compensation. ATRI’s operations study showed the all-in cost of driver pay and benefits was 90 cents a mile in 2022, or 40% of total operating costs. The issue fell one spot from No. 4 a year ago.
6. Lawsuit abuse reform. It first cracked the Top 10 in 2005. ATRI studies on nuclear verdicts against trucking companies helped illuminate the issue. Trial lawyers spend $1 million a month nationwide seeking truck crash lawsuits to pursue, Baylor said.
7. Driver distraction. The issue made it to No. 7 in 2018 but then dropped until the latest study. “We see it every day, eating, reading papers, reading books,” said Dean Key, a driver with Ruan Transportation. Distraction topped the list among law enforcement, which made up about 5% of the 4,000 trucking industry stakeholders who participated in the survey.
8. Driver retention. The issue dropped from No. 7 a year ago and fell two places on the manufacturers’ list.
9. Driver detention. Delays in loading and unloading and access to restrooms and other amenities at shipper facilities ranked No. 5 among commercial drivers but did not make the carriers’ list.
10. Zero-emission vehicles. The first-timer reflects the growing awareness of regulations in California and from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency forcing fleets to adopt battery- or fuel cell-electric vehicles. In a December study on the costs of trucking electrification, ATRI found that having electric chargers at all 313,000 truck parking spots would cost $35 billion.
Little agreement between carriers and drivers on top issues
Carriers and drivers agreed on just three of 10 issues — the economy, truck parking and fuel prices. They ranked them differently. Carriers place the economy first. Drivers listed it No. 7. Truck parking was No. 2 for drivers and No. 8 for carriers. Fuel prices were No. 3 for drivers and No. 5 for carriers, the closest to a matching priority.Motor carriers and commercial drivers agreed on just three of 10 critical issues facing the trucking industry. (Photo: Alan Adler/FreightWaves)
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Spencer Aldrich
There is no driver shortage just big Ata mega companies treating drivers like crap
James McCarthy
I’m a current CDL driver with 3 years under my belt and possibly 200k to 300k miles under my belt. I’ve witnessed a lot in my career. These are some topics that need legalisation.
#1. Fuel price gouging and excessive fuel tax or highway taxes for commercial trucks. You know the same trucks that don’t use these roads for leisure or recreational but to support all forms of life and make America run literally including material and maintenance of instates highways routes and by ways etc. Nothing is more insulting it’s like the government stealing your money so they don’t have to work while your not only doing all the hard work your paying for it too.
#2. The FMSCA only federally regulated commercial drivers and unfortunately the laws of America, courts and lawyers are against and majorly bias against these very few drivers that make America keep alive…. We need more federal laws governing non CDL drivers and protecting the industry if trucking while holding judges accountable for just decisions in court. Recently a non CDL driver cross a non crossing barrier line across the highway into opposing traffic and slid into a semi truck driver who was working for Werner https://landline.media/werner-on-the-hook-for-more-than-100m-in-crash-lawsuit/. They were not at fault caught the other driver on camera and this driver won the lawsuit even though being at fault. This doesn’t hurt Werner or that driver this hurts the entire trucking industry and even so America as a whole. I’ve seen an increase of hostility, reckless behaviors and unwarranted attacks on CDL drivers. Non CDL drivers speeding up cutting off these semi trucks and brake checking or slamming their brakes causing near accidents or delays in deliveries racing to pass a truck in front just to get off exits. Another truck is passing a slower one and a passenger vehicle cut right between them. The list goes on. I believe there should be mandatory classes to educate the public of the dangers around such commercial vehicles. I believe their should be mandatory prison time for any reckless maneuvers caught on camera of these drivers who harass such commercial drivers and put their life’s cargo and the life’s of others at state. It should be federal laws governing non CDL drivers around trucks just as much as their are for the CDL drivers. It takes a team effort to make these roads safe. If you have two opposing sides that are fighting and take away the power to do anything about it when wrong on one side the law is bias and accidents and deaths still happens. Every one driving on the road should be held accountable not just the professional drivers.
#3 going after these major supermarkets they openly brag about the billions they are making off of the suffering Americans by purposely price gouging for profit not for management. I recently bought a can of soup for nearly $3 it used to be a $1.70 something I thought imagine all the senior citizens stuck on a fix income my heart broke. When does free market have accountability before we the people these big cooperations like Big Y and Stop and Shop etc know they can get away with it because food is a necessity and worse these big cooperations are the same who refuse to pay a decent rate to carrier companies to transport their goods often. These things aren’t talked about like some kind of taboo but it’s wrong dead wrong. It hurts this whole industry…. As far as qualified drivers is not entirely true either everyone starts somewhere the question is is that driver getting better over time or worse. But I do agree places like Western Express and Swift known as driver mills literally care more about the bottom line than fair wages, good quality, and safe trucks to drive. But again if anything I can stress above everything else I said we need more accountability not of CDL drivers they have more too loose when they mess up than the average person. It’s governing the non CDL drivers who disregard the safety and well being of others especially the CDL driver. We need to hold them accountable in every state. Officers and State DOT officers need to be more no bias and more viligint in not only finding out that a lot of these accidents were caused by the non CDL drivers and hold them accountable get these drivers off the road. Freight will move more smoothly, the integrity of the highways and roads field field and secure and things that get destroyed from accidents that hold up traffic, destroy life etc won’t happen. The next time a driver of a passenger vehicle is rude or reckless they have repercussions and hopefully over time no matter how self righteous indignant arrogant jerks these drivers think they are they will think twice before acting stupid around these dangerous rigs if not they know their getting a ticket or going to jail they do it because they think their right and can get away with it that’s a problem a serious one because the problem is growing it’s got worse over the years I’ve driven not better. I’ve driven many states and it’s pretty much the same everywhere.
Brandon Andrew Fox
I agree with all of it rates are so low maintenance is unreasonably high and their is no parking sometimes it takes me over a hour to find a park
A J Foster
As a retired driver ,I believe my 3 million miles give me an insight. Expecting a driver to pay for parking a company truck is out of bounds. $1.00 a mile will buy fuel. Companies ,so intent on gaining more customers with lower rates eliminate smaller carriers then raise rates to make up lower rate income. The owner operator is the loser as his wallet is less packed. We all pay when the cost of labor rises ,the cost of fuel goes up along with the cost as does the cost of replacement parts. Taxes,labor all contribute to inflation and that is a never ending cycle. One is hooked to the other in an unbreakable grip.
Alan
There’s no trucker shortage.
They want to drive rates down to a $1 a mile?
Robert
Make a law that says shippers and recievers cant hold up drivers for more than 2 hrs, if they do, they go to jail for kidnapping, or charged with holding someone hostage, because that’s is exactly what it is.2 hrs is plenty of time to unload or load a truck, I’ve seen people do it in 20 minutes, so I know it can be done.
Jeffrey A Snyder
The “EXPERTS” are the LAST persons that have a true grasp of what’s going on in the driving world…I could go on forever But I will say this…THE “DRIVER SHORTAGE” is a COMPLETE AND TOTAL LIE… the true problem Is a shortage of QUALIFIED people not any steering wheel holder idiots the mega carries want to use like minions to fill their bank accounts, treated like sheep been driving over 20 years things are only WORSE