Truck drivers and the folks who operate the companies they work for have differences of opinion when it comes to the top issues facing the American trucking industry.
The American Transportation Research Institute's annual Top Industry Issues report, a survey of more than 2,500 carriers, commercial drivers, and other industry stakeholders, found drivers believe pay and truck parking are the top issues they face. Motor carriers once again ranked the driver shortage as the biggest issue facing them.
The results of the survey were announced on the weekend during the 2021 American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition in Nashville.
The overall survey ranked the top issues as:
- Driver shortage
- Driver retention
- Driver compensation
- Lawsuit abuse reform
- Truck parking
- CSA
- Detention time
- Infrastructure funding
- Insurance cost and availability
- Shortage of diesel technicians
However, truckers had a different take on what concerns them most. For the first time, two issues tied for the top spot on the list compiled from drivers' votes.
The top issues chosen by drivers were:
- Driver compensation and truck parking
- Detention/Delay at customers facilities
- Fuel prices
- Driver training standards
- Hours of service rules
- ELD mandate
- Driver distraction
- Transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding
- Speed limiters
- CSA
Company drivers' top three concerns were driver compensation, truck parking and driver training standards. Owner/Operators' top three concerns included fuel prices, truck parking, and driver compensation.
The top issues chosen by motor carriers were:
- Driver shortage
- Driver retention
- Lawsuit abuse reform
- CSA
- Driver compensation
- Insurance cost and availability
- Diesel technician shortage
- Transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding
- Driver distraction
- Detention/Delay at customers' facilities
This was. the fifth year in a row that the driver shortage was chosen as the number one issue in the survey.
ATRI’s annual survey asks respondents to select their top three from a list of 30 pre-identified critical issues. An issue that is ranked by a respondent as most important receives three points, while an issue ranked second receives two points and an issue ranked third receives one point. The issue with the highest number of points is identified as the top industry issue.
Participants in the survey were also asked to rank their top three preferred strategies that correspond to each selected issue.
