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    1. Home

    Economy still trucking’s top concern entering 2025

    Oct. 16, 2024
    Fleet leaders continue to worry about the economy and lawsuit abuse. While commercial drivers’ economic concerns grew this year, their top concerns continue to be truck parking and pay, according to ATRI’s 20th annual survey of trucking industry stakeholders.

    For the second consecutive year, the economy was the top concern for thousands of trucking stakeholders the American Transportation Research Institute surveyed for its annual list of trucking’s most pressing issues heading into 2025.

    Along with economic concern reigning atop ATRI’s 20th annual Top Industry Issues report, truck parking remained No. 2 this year, marking the 10th consecutive year it ranked within the top 10. Rebecca Brewster, ATRI president and COO, unveiled the list on the opening day of American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee.

    Fuel prices (ranked No. 3 in 2023) and driver retention (No. 8 in ‘23) fell off the 2024 top 10 list. They were replaced by the federal Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program, which didn’t make the 2023 list after being a perennial topic for years; and insurance cost/availability, which last appeared in 2021.

    Along with how the entire industry views trucking’s top issues, ATRI breaks up its rankings by segments, including the top concerns of motor carrier executives, all commercial drivers, company drivers, owner-operators, and law enforcement personnel. 

    Here is a breakdown of how these groups ranked the top issues in 2024 this year (2023 rankings are in parentheses):

    Motor carriers’ top 10 issues of 2024

    Falling off the motor carrier’s top 10 issues was fuel prices, which ranked No. 5 in 2023 and No. 3 in 2022.

    1. Economy (1)
    2. Lawsuit abuse reform (3)
    3. Driver shortage (2)
    4. Insurance cost/availability (6)
    5. Driver retention (5)
    6. CSA: Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (not ranked)
    7. Truck parking (8)
    8. Battery electric vehicles (7)*
    9. Driver distraction (10)
    10. Diesel technician shortage (9)

    *“Zero-emission vehicles” ranked No. 7 in 2023, but this year, the issue was listed as “battery electric vehicles.”

    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).

    Read more at FleetOwner, a Bulk Transporter affiliate.

    About the Author

    Josh Fisher | Technology Editor

    FleetOwner Editor-in-Chief Josh Fisher has been with Endeavor's Commercial Vehicle Group since 2017, covering everything from modern fleet management to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucking, regulations, and emerging transportation technology. He is based in Maryland.