Shortly after a national research organization released its annual study of the critical issues facing the trucking industry, one state has a similar list of its own.
Last week, the American Transportation Research Institute unveiled its 21's annual Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry. It listed the economy as once again the top issue facing the industry.
The members of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association have a somewhat different take on what matters most. While the economy was the state association's third most critical issue, the LMTA listed the need for lawsuit abuse reform as its top concern. That was followed by insurance costs and availability.
In a statement announcing its top issues, the LMTA said, "The report’s findings reflect deep concern over Louisiana’s reputation as a 'judicial hellhole,' where inflated settlements and frivolous lawsuits drive up insurance costs. LMTA is again calling on state lawmakers to pursue meaningful legal reforms that protect businesses from abusive litigation and help stabilize the insurance market."
On the topic of insurance the LMTA's Executive Director Renee Amar said, "Insurance premiums have become a major financial strain for our industry. For many trucking companies, the cost of insuring their vehicles now represents their largest expense—outpacing both labor and fuel. Some businesses have left the state entirely due to insurance costs. This is unsustainable, and it’s hurting both trucking companies and Louisiana’s economy.”
The LMTA's complete top 10 list and suggested solutions includes:
1. Lawsuit Abuse Reform
- Promote state-level reform to cap damages paid to plaintiffs in truck-involved crashes.
- Advocate for elimination of phantom medical damages. • Advocate for the disclosure and discoverability of third-party litigation funding agreements in lawsuits.
2. Insurance Cost / Availability
- Develop framework for potential upfront insurance premium reductions when drivers and carriers adopt proven safety technologies.
- Research trends in carrier safety management practices and their impact on insurance premium costs.
- Educate the public about lawsuit abuse leading to increased consumer prices and insurance costs.
3. Economy
- Research the patterns and causes of the current, prolonged freight recession.
- Research why industry supply has been slow to adjust to changes in freight demand including potential factors such as the illegal use of B-1 drivers, delayed equipment repossession, and factoring services, among others.
- Quantify the impact of increasing trucking operational costs on supply chains and the nation's economy, including the impact of new tariffs.
4. Driver Distraction
- Encourage harsher penalties and more aggressive enforcement of distracted driving laws for all motorists.
- Advocate for national standards for distracted driving laws for all motorists.Research and quantify the role of car driver distraction in car-truck crashes.
5. Driver Shortage
- Support an industry-funded outreach program to improve the trucking industry's image.
- Advocate for expanding interstate CDL eligibility to 18-20-year old drivers.
- Examine potential new ways for motor carriers to bring 18-year-olds into the industry in positions where they can gain experience and then transition into truck driving positions when they turn 21.
6. Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
- Work with FMCSA to update its carrier prioritization methodology, improve its accuracy, continuously review and evaluate crash preventability factors, and enhance transparency in CSA.
- Encourage FMCSA to review and address enforcement disparities/geographic variations in enforcement between states and local jurisdictions that impact CSA scores, which may unfairly penalize carriers based solely on where they operate.
- Support FMCSA's work to speed up the DataQ process by improving internal processes for reviewing Request for Data Reviews (RDRs).
7. Transportation Infrastructure / Congestion / Funding
- Advocate for a new funding program to focus federal resources on truck bottlenecks along major freight corridors.
- Support legislation that would limit the expansion of tolls on existing Interstates.
8. Driver Training Standards
- Advocate for an FMCSA audit of its Training Provider Registry to ensure that training providers are meeting the basic Entry-Level Driver Training standards and are compliant with all requirements.
- Work with driver training schools to develop and/or update best practices and model curricula.
- Research the impact of Entry-Level Driver Training regulations on highway safety.
9. Diesel Emissions Regulations
- Identify the financial impacts associated with compliance of mandated diesel emission regulations.
- Research the performance of emission control technologies.
10. Truck Parking
- Advocate for a dedicated federal funding program to increase truck parking capacity at freight-critical locations.
- Support state DOT applications for U.S. DOT grants to expand truck parking.
