Trucking carriers across the country are being asked to contribute cost and performance data to one of the industry’s most widely referenced benchmarking studies.
The American Transportation Research Institute has opened participation for its 2026 Operational Costs of Trucking annual report, an industry resource that tracks how expenses and performance metrics are shifting year over year. The report is designed to help operators better understand cost pressures, efficiency trends, and broader market conditions.
The data collected will reflect full-year 2025 operations and will be used to establish anonymized cost averages and performance benchmarks across different fleet sizes and operating models.
Why Cost Data Matters Heading Into 2026
As market conditions evolve, understanding cost structure has become increasingly critical for organizations balancing labor, equipment, insurance, and utilization pressures. One carrier executive participating in the study highlighted how the report supports operational planning during uncertain economic cycles.
“There are signs of growing opportunities for trucking in 2026, but only if fleets can maintain disciplined, nimble operations,” said Andrew Hadland, CFO, Hirschbach Motor Lines. “ATRI’s Operational Costs of Trucking and the customized report we receive as participants are important inputs for ensuring healthy performance in our costs and operations despite economic headwinds.”
The annual study has become a planning reference point for organizations evaluating where expenses are rising, where efficiencies can be gained, and how internal performance compares to peers.
What the Operational Costs of Trucking Report Measures
According to ATRI, the report is used each year by thousands of industry decision-makers as a high-level indicator of freight market conditions and cost trends.
“ATRI’s Operational Costs of Trucking is trusted by thousands of industry decisionmakers every year as a key barometer of freight market conditions and is the leading public benchmarking tool for motor carriers of all sectors, from owner-operators to 10,000+ truck fleets,” ATRI said.
The report analyzes a wide range of financial and operational data points, including:
- Driver compensation
- Equipment and maintenance expenses
- Insurance premiums
- Non-revenue mileage
- Driver utilization
- Mileage between breakdowns
- Revenue per truck per week
These metrics allow participants to assess both cost control and operational effectiveness within a broader industry context.
What Participants Receive in Return
Organizations that submit data receive a customized benchmarking report comparing their costs and performance against an anonymized peer group of similar size and sector.
New for 2026, ATRI will also provide multi-year participants with year-over-year comparisons in their customized reports. This added feature allows organizations to more directly evaluate trends over time rather than relying solely on single-year snapshots.
All submitted data remains confidential and is published only in aggregated, anonymized averages.
How and When to Participate
For-hire motor carriers are invited to participate by April 24. Data for the 2025 calendar year can be submitted online or by PDF. Sample customized reports and additional participation details are available here.
All submitted data is kept confidential and is published only in anonymized averages.
To read the previous Operational Costs of Trucking report, click here.
Source: The Trucker
