ATRI’s newly released 21st annual Top Industry Issues report highlights the challenges facing trucking at a time when operating costs remain high and freight markets remain soft.

The issues shaping trucking right now.

The 2025 report identifies the following as the top five concerns across the trucking industry:

• Economy
• Lawsuit Abuse Reform
• Insurance Cost and Availability
• Truck Parking
• Driver Compensation

Several new issues also appeared on the list for the first time, including English Language Proficiency requirements for drivers and the growing role of artificial intelligence in trucking operations.

Industry leaders say the continued dominance of economic concerns reflects prolonged pressure across the freight market.

“We’re in the third year of this extended freight recession, and the pain is real,” said Andy Owens, A&M Transport president. “Operating costs climbed to their highest ever at the same time that freight pricing has bottomed out. ATRI’s annual analysis is so critical for our industry to not only quantify the issues, but more importantly, to understand what we can collectively do as an industry to address each.”

Shifts within the top rankings

While the economy held its position as the number one concern, other issues shifted slightly within the rankings.

“While the Economy retained its #1 spot, Lawsuit Abuse Reform and Insurance Cost and Availability each rose one spot, to be the #2 and #3 top concerns, respectively,” ATRI said. “The lack of available Truck Parking dropped two spots this year to the #4 concern, and Driver Compensation held on to its #5 position.”

Driver Training Standards, which had appeared on truck driver issue lists since 2019, climbed higher this year. It ranked ninth overall among all respondents and seventh among truck driver respondents.

Different priorities for drivers and carriers

The survey results also highlight how concerns differ depending on role within the industry.

Among truck drivers, the top three issues were Driver Compensation, Truck Parking, and English Language Proficiency. Motor carriers, on the other hand, ranked the Economy, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, and Insurance Cost and Availability as their leading concerns.

ATRI noted that more than 46 percent of respondents were motor carrier executives or personnel. Truck drivers accounted for 30 percent of respondents, with the remaining 23 percent representing other freight stakeholders.

Growing participation across the industry

This year’s survey included responses from more than 4,200 trucking industry stakeholders, marking a 14 percent increase compared to the 2024 survey. Participants represented a wide range of industry roles, including motor carriers, professional drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement.

The full findings were released during the 2025 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition. The complete report is available through ATRI.

What the results signal for the industry

The survey results underscore the ongoing strain created by a weak freight economy combined with rising costs. While drivers and carriers experience these pressures differently, the data shows broad agreement that economic stability remains the foundation for addressing many of trucking’s other challenges.

As the industry continues to navigate freight cycles, insurance pressures, and workforce issues, ATRI’s findings provide a snapshot of where concerns are most concentrated and where attention is likely to remain in the year ahead.

Source: The Trucker

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Make Your Voice Heard in Trucking

The annual survey asks participants to rank the most pressing concerns facing the trucking sector and share potential strategies for addressing each challenge. Feedback collected helps identify trends and areas needing attention across the nation’s supply chain.

“For over 20 years, the industry has relied on the annual Top Industry Issues Survey to highlight the critical issues facing our nation’s supply chain,” said Dennis Dellinger, American Trucking Associations chair and Cargo Transporters president, CEO. “ATRI’s research provides an opportunity for thousands of trucking industry professionals, from drivers to executives, to weigh in on the most challenging topics that affect our day-to-day operations and collectively decide on the most promising strategies for addressing each.”

Tracking Shifts in Industry Priorities

Now in its 21st year, the survey not only ranks issues but also provides insights into how priorities differ between motor carriers and professional drivers. It allows stakeholders to monitor trends over time, understanding which concerns are gaining importance and which are decreasing in criticality.

“ATRI’s annual survey allows truck drivers to make our collective concerns known,” said Lloyd Howell, an America’s Road Team Captain and professional truck driver for TCW Inc. “Whether your top challenge is truck parking, driver compensation, detention at customer facilities, traffic congestion, or something else, this is your chance to bring those issues to light. Please take a few minutes to complete the online survey and encourage your peers to do so also.”

Survey Timeline and Results

The 2025 Top Industry Issues Survey will remain open until October 10. Results will be shared on October 26 during the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, California.

Industry professionals are encouraged to participate in the survey by visiting ATRI’s official survey page [here]. Input from drivers, carriers, and other stakeholders is critical in shaping strategies that strengthen the industry and address the challenges affecting daily operations.

Source: The Trucker

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Through its Public Truck Parking Driver Survey, ATRI is collaborating with departments of transportation in every state to identify effective strategies for increasing parking availability at public rest areas and other state-managed facilities.

The survey, which consists of 12 concise questions, invites truckers to provide input on various approaches states are using to address parking issues. These include:

• Implementation of parking information systems

• Repurposing state-owned properties for parking

• Strategies for parking during adverse weather conditions

The findings from the survey will culminate in a report evaluating how states are currently addressing truck parking needs. It will also showcase the most effective practices for expanding parking options at public rest areas.

Dan Murray, ATRI’s Senior Vice President, emphasized the importance of driver feedback in tackling the truck parking shortage.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t make any sense to ask anyone but a truck driver what is needed to improve truck parking,” Murray shared with Land Line. “This particular ATRI survey is focused exclusively on truck parking at public rest areas. There are only 40,000 truck parking spaces at public rest areas in the U.S., based on driver feedback. States should probably double that number.”

The ongoing issue of inadequate truck parking has consistently ranked as a top concern within the industry. According to ATRI’s 2024 Top Industry Issues report, the shortage of available parking stood as the second-highest overall concern and has remained the number one issue for drivers for several years.

“On ATRI’s annual Top Industry Issues report, ‘truck parking’ has been the No. 1 issue for truck drivers in four of the last five reports,” Murray explained. “We’re hoping that real-world data can address the problem and finally move truck parking down the list.”

Truck drivers can participate in the Public Truck Parking Driver Survey and make their voices heard by completing it online here.

Source: Land Line

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Interestingly, the economy emerged as the primary concern for carriers, topping the list when considering all survey responses. These findings were revealed at the 2024 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition held in Nashville. For those interested in the complete survey details, the full report is accessible on ATRI’s website here.

Truck Drivers’ Top 10 Critical Issues:

1. Parking
2. Driver compensation
3. The economy
4. Detention/Delay at customers’ facilities
5. Speed limiters
6. Broker issues
7. ELD mandate
8. Fuel prices
9. Autonomous trucks
10. Driver training standards

The survey results showed notable differences in priorities between company drivers and owner-operators:

• For company drivers, driver compensation led the list, while owner-operators were most concerned about the economy.

• Both groups ranked truck parking as their second most critical issue.

• Company drivers placed detention/delay at customer facilities third, whereas owner-operators ranked broker issues higher.

• Speed limiters were the fourth concern for both groups.

• Lastly, company drivers were concerned about the economy, while owner-operators prioritized fuel prices.

Carriers’ Critical Issues List:

1. The economy
2. Lawsuit abuse reform
3. Driver shortage
4. Insurance cost/availability
5. Driver retention
6. FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability
7. Truck parking
8. Battery electric vehicles
9. Driver distraction
10. Diesel technician shortage

When combining responses from truckers, carriers, and other stakeholders, the top issues were ranked as follows:

1. The economy
2. Truck parking
3. Lawsuit abuse reform
4. Insurance cost/availability
5. Driver compensation
6. Battery electric vehicles
7. FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability
8. Detention/Delay at customers’ facilities
9. Driver shortage
10. Driver distraction

Motor carrier enforcement personnel also contributed to the survey, highlighting their top concerns:

1. Driver distraction
2. Hours of service
3. FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability
4. Driver training standards
5. Marijuana legislation

“Without question, this has been another tough year for the trucking industry,” remarked Gregg Troian, PGT Trucking president. “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.”

ATRI reported that over 3,700 stakeholders participated in the survey, including motor carriers, truck drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement personnel. Nearly 45 percent of respondents were motor carrier executives and personnel, with truck drivers making up 31 percent. The comprehensive report also features a ranking of the primary concerns of motor carrier enforcement personnel.

Source: Truckers News

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