The economy continues to plague large companies and owner-operators.
For the second year in a row, the economy tops the list of concerns for the transportation industry, according to the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) 20th annual Top Industry Issues report.
Released at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition in Nashville, the report highlights that rising operational costs, coupled with a persistent freight recession and stagnant rates, are major worries for motor carriers and drivers.
Top Concerns for Truck Drivers & Motor Carriers
The Ongoing Battle for More Truck Parking
Moving up to the number one placement from number two in 2023, drivers continued to express concern over the lack of available truck parking this year. According to the American Trucking Associations, there are about 3.5 million truck drivers in the US and approximately 313,000 truck parking spaces nationally. In other words, for every 11 drivers, there is only one truck parking space.
Adequate truck parking allows commercial drivers to safely and comfortably take their much-needed breaks and follow strict DOT hours-of-service rules. Thankfully, awareness of this ongoing industry issue has increased and led to developing programs to tackle it. Programs like Truck Parking Club allow drivers to find and instantly reserve truck parking spaces throughout the US.
Rise in Insurance Costs & CSA Concerns for Carriers
While the top three concerns of carriers in 2024 reflect the same issues cited in the 2023 ATRI report, two new subjects have climbed the list: insurance and CSA.
The current commercial insurance market is a hard one with premiums climbing year-over-year. More carriers are taking proactive steps to find relief and relying on new technologies like MVR monitoring to prove to underwriters that they take their drivers' safety seriously.
Although the increase in CSA concerns is new to this list, it's not surprising. Numerous brokers, load boards, and contractors (like Amazon Relay!) now check carriers' CSA scores to ensure their compliance and safety adhere to their standards.
What to Take Away from the ATRI Report
If you’re struggling to hire and keep drivers, one or more of the ATRI top ten driver issues may be to blame. Taking the time to review your safety and DOT compliance policies, parking arrangements, equipment, and compensation rates and make any necessary changes could convince your current employees to stay behind the wheel and entice new drivers to join your fleet.
Employers can also update their driver application process to show new recruits they put drivers first from the very beginning of the professional relationship.
Remember, what you do now to satisfy the needs of modern-day drivers will only strengthen your company’s reputation and employee retention rates for the long term.
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