The U.S. trucking sector has faced a challenging year, and this is evident in the findings of a significant yearly survey regarding key worries.

In the “Critical Issues In the Trucking Industry – 2023” survey, conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute and revealed during the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition in Austin, Texas, the most pressing concern was the state of the economy.

“This year has been one of economic challenges for the trucking industry and all Americans,” said the introduction of the 19th annual survey. “High inflation drove up costs for consumers and producers alike, yet rising interest rates raised both borrowing rates and the cost of capital. Meanwhile, pricing in all trucking sectors fell steadily over the year, hampered by soft performance in key industries including a poor produce season, generally flat housing and manufacturing output, and retail sales that were outpaced by inflation as retailers remained overstocked. The total number of jobs in the industry began to fall over the summer for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of registered carriers remained nearly flat after years of growth.” 

This year’s survey is noteworthy because it’s the first time the economy has claimed the top spot as the most concerning issue. In 2022, it was ranked fifth, and it didn’t even make it into the top 10 in the 2021 survey. In 2020, it held the eighth position, while in 2019 and 2018, it was at the 10th spot on the list of concerns.

The comprehensive ranking of the most critical concerns comprised:

  1. The economy
  2. Truck parking
  3. Fuel prices
  4. Driver shortage
  5. Driver compensation
  6. Lawsuit abuse/reform
  7. Driver distraction
  8. Driver retention
  9. Detention/delay
  10. Zero emissions vehicles

This is how drivers evaluated the problems that mattered to them:

  1. Driver compensation
  2. Truck parking
  3. Fuel prices
  4. Speed limiters
  5. Detention/delay
  6. Driver training standards
  7. The economy
  8. Broker issues
  9. ELD mandate
  10. Autonomous trucks

In the past year, driver pay was the third most important concern for drivers, with truck parking taking the top spot. A distinction emerged between company drivers and owner-operators regarding their primary worries.

For company drivers, their top three concerns were ranked as follows:

1.) Driver compensation

2.) Truck parking

3.) Speed limiters

Conversely, owner-operators’ leading concerns were:

1.) Fuel costs

2.) Speed limiters

3.) Truck parking

The issues were rated by individuals representing motor carrier executives and staff:

  1. The economy
  2. Driver shortage
  3. Lawsuit abuse/reform
  4. Driver retention
  5. Fuel prices
  6. Insurance costs/availability
  7. Zero emission vehicles
  8. Truck parking
  9. Diesel technician shortage
  10. Driver distraction

ATRI reported that they received input from more than 4,000 individuals involved in the North American trucking and supply chain sectors, seeking their perspectives on the critical issues in these industries.

Among the 2023 participants, motor carrier executives and staff made up 47.8% of the respondents, professional truck drivers accounted for 29%, and other stakeholders in the industry, such as suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement, constituted 23.2% of the total.

Notably, this year marked the inclusion of motor carrier enforcement personnel, making up nearly 5% of the respondents. Their top three concerns were identified as:

1.) Driver distraction

2.) Hours of service

3.) Driver training standards.