Each year, the American Trucking Research Institute (ATRI) surveys over 15,000 trucking industry stakeholders and asks their opinion on the top issues facing the industry. This year, new challenges appeared on the list while other, timeless issues remained top-of-mind. Here are the survey results, summarized:
#10: Diesel Technician Shortage
This is the first year that the Diesel Technician Shortage has been ranked as a top-10 issue by carriers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be over 28,000 openings for diesel service technicians and mechanics for each of the next 10 years. In 2020, the median pay for diesel technicians was just over $50,000, though this number could increase if the shortage continues.
#9: Insurance Cost / Availability
Since 2018, trucking insurance carriers have lost $1.8 billion from plaintiff’s attorneys targeting fleets for multi-million dollar verdicts. As a result, several insurance carriers have exited the commercial auto liability market altogether, and those that remain have raised rates.
#8: Transportation Infrastructure / Congestion / Funding
Years of inattention by federal leaders has resulted in poorly maintained roads and traffic congestion that creates wear and tear on vehicles, wastes fuel and increases emissions, creates additional stress for drivers, and negatively impacts industry productivity. Until Congress passes the infrastructure bill currently being debated, it remains to be seen whether this issue will get the attention it deserves from Washington.
#7: Detention/Delay at Customer Facilities
In a previous survey conducted by ATRI, 34% of survey respondents indicated that detention times were worse during the pandemic—possibly the result of reduced staffing at shipper/receiver facilities with employees affected by the virus. For this reason, it’s unsurprising that detention made the list for the third year in a row.
Learn more about the rise of Nuclear Verdicts.
#6: Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
Since debuting in 2010, CSA has been on ATRI’s Top 10 Issues in Trucking six times. Though carriers have had time to adjust to the CSA system and learn to work within it, ATRI recommends that the FMCSA update its carrier prioritization methodology, improve its accuracy, and enhance transparency in CSA.
#5: Truck Parking
Truck parking has made the list every year since its first appearance in 2012. With the infrastructure debate heating up in D.C., ATRI has proposed a legislative solution: Create a new dedicated federal funding program designed to increase truck parking capacity at freight-critical locations.
#4: Lawsuit Abuse Reform
With Nuclear Verdicts on the rise, it is no surprise that lawsuit reform—changes to the civil justice system that generally reduce a plaintiffs’ ability to file lawsuits or be awarded high damages in court—made the top 10 list this year. Reform would require legislative action to enact, so meaningful changes to civil liability may be slow coming.
#3: Driver Compensation
In this year’s survey, 33% of drivers ranked compensation as one of their top three industry concerns. However, as fleets continue to raise driver pay to recruit and retain drivers in response to the shortage, motor carriers are also concerned about driver compensation and the sustainability of continually raising driver pay.
#2: Driver Retention
According to the ATA, driver turnover at large truckload fleets was 92% at the end of 2020, with no sign of slowing down its growth unless immediate, impactful steps are taken to address it.
#1: Driver Shortage
For the fifth year in a row, the driver shortage is the trucking industry’s top overall concern. According to the ATA, the industry’s current shortage of over 60,000 drivers could grow to over 160,000 by 2028. A number of pressures are contributing to the shortage, including growing freight demand, the aging driver workforce, drivers who left the industry over health concerns during COVID, and new entrant training and licensing backlogs from COVID-related closures.
The Tool You Need to Address These Concerns
While the trucking industry faces many challenges, individual fleets can overcome them using innovative tools that put them ahead of the competition.
The Idelic Safety Suite® is the truck industry’s only driver management platform, helping fleets revolutionize their processes by consolidating all third-party systems under a single platform. In doing so, Safety Suite has helped driver managers administer training, engage with drivers, ensure compliance, and reduce liability, giving them the critical piece of the driver management puzzle they were missing.
Using Safety Suite, fleets have addressed the industry’s top issues and simplified their safety. If you’d like to learn more about how your fleet can combat the driver shortage, increase retention, and reduce insurance costs, watch a 2-minute demo here.