Trucking industry’s top concerns include safe parking and driver distraction

Austin, TX — Multiple safety-related issues are spotlighted in the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual list of top trucking industry concerns.

ATRI – the research arm of the American Trucking Associations – surveyed more than 4,000 trucking industry stakeholders, including drivers, motor carriers, suppliers, driver trainers and law enforcement.

A lack of safe places for truckers to park ranks second on the list, while driver distraction is seventh – returning to the top 10 for the first time since 2018. Driver detention/delay at customer facilities is ninth.

“Thankfully, ATRI’s analysis doesn’t just tell us what the issues are, it spells out a number of data-driven strategies that the industry can pursue to address them,” ATA Chair Dan Van Alstine said in a press release.

For safe truck parking, ranking behind only the economy, the top proposed solutions from respondents in order:

• Advocate for a dedicated federal funding program to increase truck parking capacity at freight-central locations.
• Encourage local and regional governments to reduce the regulatory burdens limiting the construction and expansion of truck parking facilities.
• Research the relationship between truck parking availability and highway safety.

Fuel prices and a shortage of drivers, the leading industry concerns in 2022, fell to third and fourth, respectively. Making its first appearance in the top 10, zero-emission vehicles came in at No. 10.