All people complains concerning the climate, however no person does something about it. Charles Dudley Warner
The identical can’t be mentioned concerning the American Trucking Analysis Institute’s annual evaluation of the highest points going through the trucking {industry}. Whereas the hallmark of the survey is to record the highest 10 crucial obstacles going through carriers and truckers alike, ATRI goes a step additional.
As a part of the survey, which was made public in early October, ATRI contains the highest three doable options for every of the troublesome points. These are sometimes ignored in favor of the simply digested rankings.
Nonetheless, the options, that are ranked so as of choice by these taking the survey, provide some perception into how the {industry} thinks about find out how to cope with the problems. In some cases, the options additionally replicate work the {industry}, particularly its advocacy teams, is already doing.
Every respondent may rank three methods, pre-identified by a freight stakeholder collaboration organized by ATRI, that finest tackle every of their prime three points. The share of respondents choosing every technique as their primary alternative generated the technique rating, in response to ATRI.
Listed here are the highest points as recognized by all members — carriers, drivers, and others — and the way respondents reacted to the varied doable options ATRI offered. Use the feedback part under to supply your personal doable options to any of the problems.
1. The Financial system
a) Establish and promote reforming/repealing ineffective and burdensome laws that improve {industry} prices with out offering advantages. 51.2 p.c of respondents imagine one of the best technique for mitigating the destructive impacts of the Financial system is to minimize the {industry}’s regulatory burden. Given the rise in rating on this 12 months’s survey of concern over Battery Electrical Autos (from 10 to six), a few of this focus is probably going directed on the aggressive timelines for transitioning the nation’s automobile and truck fleet to zero emission autos. Analysis has estimated prices of over $1 trillion to construct out the infrastructure wanted to energy electrical vehicles, whereas the prices of buying battery electrical vehicles to exchange Class 8 vehicles bought in 2022 is estimated to be over $116 billion.
b) Push for renewing the 2017 federal revenue and company tax cuts which are set to expire in 2025. Decreasing financial pressures by means of tax aid is the popular technique of 30.7 p.c of respondents. The Tax Minimize and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into legislation by then-President Trump in 2017, and amongst its provisions was a discount of the company tax price from 39 to 21 p.c. The TCJA is about to run out in 2025 and sustaining these tax price reductions is essentially depending on the end result of the November 2024 elections.
c) Advocate for re-shoring and near-shoring of kit and elements manufacturing to scale back reliance on worldwide provide chains. Simply over 10 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best strategy for bettering financial circumstances is to scale back reliance on gear and elements sourced outdoors of North America. Initially pushed by the numerous disruptions to the worldwide provide chain throughout COVID-19 and later as a result of geopolitical tensions, there was elevated reliance on the a part of producers on sourcing supplies inside and nearer to the U.S., which additionally reduces or eradicated maritime transportation prices.
2. Truck Parking
a) Advocate for a devoted federal funding program to extend truck parking capability at freight-critical areas. A plurality of respondents (35.4%) imagine {that a} devoted federal funding supply is one of the best technique for addressing this perennial {industry} problem. Trucking {industry} teams proceed to foyer Congress to go the bipartisan Truck Parking Security Enchancment Act, which would supply $755 million to broaden parking capability throughout the U.S. A funding supply devoted to truck parking wouldn’t power state DOTs to prioritize truck parking over different infrastructure enhancements of their purposes for federal funds, as is now the case.
b) Encourage native and regional governments to scale back the regulatory burdens limiting the development and growth of truck parking services. A variety of components on the native and regional stage make it difficult for the siting and/or growth of private-sector parking tasks. These embody buying right-of-way and facility upkeep prices (significantly in main metropolitan areas), noise and lighting abatement laws, and in some cases, limitations on the variety of vehicles that may park in an space or full bans on truck parking. Encouraging the elimination of those regulatory hurdles and doubtlessly figuring out new truck parking on the native and regional ranges is the popular technique of 27.4 p.c of respondents.
c) Help state Division of Transportation purposes for U.S. DOT grants to broaden truck parking. Till Congress establishes a devoted federal supply of funding for truck parking, states might want to apply for parking capability growth assets by means of certainly one of a number of U.S. DOT infrastructure funding packages. The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Legislation Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB) despatched letters to the governors and state DOT administrators of all 50 states encouraging their purposes for federal truck parking assets from packages such because the Nationwide Freeway Efficiency Program, the Freeway Security Enchancment Program and the Nationwide Freeway Freight Program. Continued {industry} assist for these state purposes for U.S. DOT funding is the popular technique of 26.6 p.c of respondents.
3. Lawsuit Abuse Reform
a) Promote state-level reform to cap damages paid to plaintiffs in truck-involved crashes. State-level reform to place limits on the quantities that may be awarded to plaintiffs for non-economic damages is the popular technique of the bulk (64.8%) of respondents. Current wins in states corresponding to West Virginia reveal the truth that state legislators perceive the necessity to restrict non-economic damages. Nonetheless, laws handed in Wisconsin to do the identical was in the end vetoed by Governor Evers, indicating that the {industry}’s work on the state-level is way from full.
b) Advocate for elimination of “phantom” damages. 19.6 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best strategy for decreasing lawsuit abuse is to get rid of phantom damages. These “damages” characterize the delta between medical prices {that a} defendant is billed for versus the precise medical prices incurred and paid, usually leading to a non-compensatory windfall for the plaintiff and plaintiff’s lawyer. Georgia has earned the repute because the state most in want of judicial reform, partially as a result of courts’ allowance of considerably inflated medical payments.
c) Quantify the impression of third-party litigation financing on trial outcomes. 11.3 p.c of respondents imagine one of the best strategy for addressing lawsuit abuse is to quantify the impression of third-party financing, a follow that’s rising in the united statesThird-party litigation financing is used to supply front-end capital for plaintiffs’ instances to cowl objects like accident reconstruction, skilled witnesses, focus teams and different litigation instruments. The financing is often offered on a contingency foundation and is repaid out of a judgement or out-of-court settlement favoring the plaintiff.
4. Insurance coverage Coast/Availabilty
a) Develop a framework for potential upfront insurance coverage premium reductions when drivers and carriers undertake confirmed security applied sciences. The trucking {industry} expends $14 billion yearly in security enhancements, together with investments in expertise and coaching. Figuring out a approach to quantify the worth of these investments and safe commensurate reductions in upfront insurance coverage premiums is the popular technique of 42.5 p.c of respondents.
b) Educate the general public on the function of lawsuit abuse in rising client costs and insurance coverage prices. Whereas trucking {industry} stakeholders perceive the nexus between lawsuit abuse and rising insurance coverage charges, most of the people is much less knowledgeable on how massive jury verdicts towards trucking fleets have an inflationary impression on client costs. A marketing campaign to attach these dots for shoppers is the popular technique of 37.9 p.c of respondents.
c) Analysis tendencies in provider security administration practices and their impression on insurance coverage premium prices. 10 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best strategy for decreasing insurance coverage prices is analysis to quantify which security administration practices have the best impression on insurance coverage premiums. Fleets are more and more deploying superior driver help methods (ADAS), and improved driver coaching to scale back their crash danger. Analysis has additionally proven that fleets that belong to state and nationwide trucking associations have higher security data than their friends who’ve by no means joined an {industry} affiliation.That very same analysis proposed potential insurance coverage premium reductions for fleets which are members of {industry} associations.
5. Driver Compensation
a) Quantify the financial impression of compensating truck drivers for all hours labored, together with detention time and congestion delays. 43.4 p.c of all respondents imagine that quantifying the financial impression of compensating truck drivers for all hours labored is the popular strategy to Driver Compensation. Amongst truck driver respondents, this technique obtained greater than twice as many votes as the opposite methods and continues to be a write-in technique amongst drivers. ATRI’s latest analysis on detention discovered that whole misplaced driver productiveness attributable to detention in 2023 was 135.9 million hours, underscoring how impactful detention is on drivers’ compensation.
b) Analyze truck driver compensation fashions and their relationship to driver satisfaction and productiveness. The trucking {industry} depends on quite a lot of completely different compensation fashions together with per-mile, per-hour, per-load, and proportion of income, amongst others. Understanding how compensation strategies relate to driver satisfaction and productiveness is the popular technique of 30.1 p.c of respondents. Drivers routinely record compensation as certainly one of their prime metrics for bettering their job satisfaction, however it isn’t the one factor that truck drivers are in search of from their employer. ATRI analysis discovered that the smallest fleets (<26 vehicles) have decrease turnover charges than their bigger counterparts whose driver compensation is often increased than small fleets.
c) Analysis and prioritize the effectiveness of provider packages that financially incentivize drivers for retention, security efficiency, and gas economic system. ATRI’s newest Operational Prices of Trucking discovered that fleets are providing common annual bonuses of $1,200+ to drivers for beginning, retention, referral, and security efficiency bonuses. Security bonuses had been among the many highest at $1,831 per driver on common. Finding out the efficacy of bonus packages for rewarding drivers is the advisable technique of 16.9 p.c of respondents.
6. Battery Electrical Autos
a) Quantify the charging infrastructure availability and/or necessities and subsequent provide chain prices of battery electrical truck mandates. ATRI analysis quantified a transition to BEV for long-haul trucking would price over $1 trillion in electrical infrastructure and automobile buy prices over 15 years. The automobile prices alone are estimated to be over $594 billion and in an {industry} with extraordinarily low margins, these further prices can be handed on to shoppers as increased costs on all items. Quantifying these provide chain prices is the popular technique of 47.3 p.c of respondents.
b) Analysis the impacts of battery-electric autos on transportation infrastructure, crash response and first responder security. 26.7 p.c of respondents imagine one of the best strategy for addressing BEV considerations is to quantify the impression of those heavier autos on roadways, when concerned in crashes, and for guaranteeing first responder security. Current crashes reveal why that is such a crucial piece of understanding what full automobile electrification means. A Tesla truck crash in California required greater than 1 million gallons of water and shut down an interstate for 16 hours, prompting calls from lawmakers to gradual the state’s electrical automobile
c) Assess the potential of a Federal Excise Tax (FET) repeal for encouraging fleet funding in newer, extra energy-efficient gear. 14.5 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best strategy for addressing Battery Electrical Autos is to know how a repeal of the FET would impression each the Federal Freeway Belief Fund and the {industry}’s funding in additional fuel-efficient vehicles that may leverage superior security methods. ATRI’s RAC recognized a cost-benefit evaluation of the FET as a prime analysis precedence for 2024, and that analysis is underway.
7. Compliance, Security, Accountability
a) Work with FMCSA to replace its provider prioritization methodology, enhance its accuracy, and improve transparency in CSA. In February 2023, FMCSA revealed quite a lot of proposed updates and adjustments to CSA, its Security Measurement System (SMS). Whereas usually supportive of the proposed adjustments, the {industry} did spotlight some continued considerations in federal docket feedback, and 32.8 p.c of respondents imagine that the {industry} ought to proceed to work collaboratively with FMCSA to make enhancements to CSA.
b) Encourage FMCSA to assessment and tackle enforcement disparities / geographic variations in enforcement between states and native jurisdictions that impression CSA scores, which can unfairly penalize carriers primarily based solely on the place they function. ATRI analysis in 2014 discovered that normalizing state enforcement disparities would impression particular person provider security scores anyplace from a 17.7 level lower to a 12.2 level improve from the precise scores reported by the SMS. 48 31 p.c of respondents imagine that accounting for these state enforcement disparities within the CSA methodology is one of the best strategy for bettering its analysis of provider security efficiency.
c) Advocate for FMCSA to hurry up the DataQ course of by bettering inside processes for reviewing Request for Knowledge Critiques (RDRs). 21.2 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best technique for bettering CSA is to make sure that FMCSA processes for reviewing provider knowledge requests function as effectively – and rapidly – as doable. That is significantly essential for knowledge evaluations as a part of the Crash Preventability Willpower Program (CPDP), the place favorable selections on crash non-preventability take away these crashes from a provider’s rating calculation.
8. Detention/Delay at Clients‘ Services
a) Advocate for assured detention pay after a truck driver is detained for one hour or extra at buyer services. The vast majority of respondents (63.6%) imagine that one of the best resolution for detention is to ensure driver pay when detained multiple hour. ATRI’s analysis discovered that driver detention occurred in 39.3 p.c of all stops at buyer services in 2023. Within the refrigerated sector alone, detention occurred in over 56 p.c of stops in 2023. Throughout all sectors, one in ten stops – 9.9 p.c – had greater than two hours of detention time in 2023.
b) Help laws to require buyer services to supply restroom entry to drivers. ATRI analysis discovered that 39.1 p.c of ladies drivers and 23.1 p.c of males truck drivers reported having restricted to no entry to restroom services each day. Although it appears unthinkable in as we speak’s world that laws could be required to supply restroom entry to employees, such laws has been wanted on the state and federal ranges to require restroom entry for truck drivers.14 p.c of respondents imagine that supporting these legislative initiatives is the popular technique for mitigating detention impacts.
c) Educate clients on the necessity to present secure, onsite truck parking when drivers are detained past two hours. Truck driver respondents in ATRI’s newest detention analysis reported that a mean of fifty p.c of buyer services don’t enable drivers to park within the facility whereas ready to load or unload. This results in drivers having to park in undesignated or doubtlessly unsafe areas elsewhere, in addition to lose further productiveness touring to and from the shopper facility. Outreach to clients on the significance of offering secure, onsite parking for drivers is the popular technique of 11.7 p.c of respondents.
9. Driver Scarcity
a) Study potential new pathways into truck driving careers for under-represented populations together with navy veterans, inside metropolis youth, younger adults getting older out of foster care, and previously incarcerated people, amongst others. The popular technique of 34.1 p.c of respondents is to establish new labor swimming pools from which to recruit drivers. This technique aligns with the highest analysis precedence for 2024 recognized by ATRI’s RAC to quantify altering driver demographics and discover new profession pathways into trucking. Moreover, not too long ago handed laws will make it simpler for navy veterans to earn their Business Driver’s Licenses (CDLs).
b) Help an industry-funded outreach program to enhance the trucking {industry}’s picture. Almost 34 p.c of respondents imagine that one of the best technique for recruiting extra drivers is to enhance the {industry}’s picture. Launched earlier this 12 months, ATA’s new picture marketing campaign, Nothing With out Trucking, has been properly obtained for speaking the essentiality of the {industry}. Moreover, the trucking {industry} is at all times among the many first responders after catastrophic climate occasions, underscoring that essentiality message.
c) Advocate for increasing interstate CDL eligibility to 18-20-year-old drivers. The Drive Protected Act, signed into legislation in November 2021, included a brand new nationwide pilot take a look at permitting as much as 3,000 18- to 20-year-olds to function vehicles in interstate freight commerce. Nonetheless, the FMCSA Protected Driver Apprenticeship Program (SDAP) struggled to generate participation, partially as a result of extremely stringent necessities for taking part motor carriers. Earlier this 12 months, FMCSA introduced a lessening of these necessities in hopes of producing further participation and this system is as much as 38 authorised carriers. 24.6 p.c of respondents imagine that the {industry} ought to proceed to advocate for expanded CDL eligibility for youthful drivers.
10. Driver Distraction
a) Encourage harsher penalties and extra aggressive enforcement of distracted driving legal guidelines for all street customers. The highest technique amongst respondents (39.3%) for decreasing distracted driving is to make the most of extra aggressive enforcement and harsher penalties to discourage distracted driving. Analysis has proven that high-visibility enforcement of distracted driving legal guidelines can scale back drivers’ use of handheld telephones whereas driving. States are responding to the decision for harsher penalties: Tennessee not too long ago enacted a legislation to extend the penalties for distracted driving, together with license suspension for drivers beneath 18.
b) Advocate for nationwide requirements for distracted driving legal guidelines for all motorists. The trucking {industry} has one nationwide commonplace regarding CDL drivers’ use of a handheld machine whereas driving. Nonetheless, the identical just isn’t true for automobile drivers who’re topic to myriad legal guidelines and penalties in all 50 states. Having one nationwide commonplace for all street customers would scale back confusion and is the popular technique of 28.6 p.c of respondents.
c) Quantify the function of automobile driver distraction in car-truck crashes. The popular technique of 23.3 p.c of respondents to deal with distracted driving is to higher perceive the function of automobile driver distraction in car-truck crashes. Automobile-truck crashes usually have extra extreme penalties, and due to their dimension, massive vehicles have much less maneuverability to keep away from distracted automobile drivers.
