FUEL PRICES EMERGE AS THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY'S TOP CONCERN

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry's not-for-profit research organization, released its 22^nd annual Top Industry Issues report that identifies the trucking industry's leading issues. This year's list includes Fuel Prices, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, CSA and Insurance Cost/Availability. Two issues that debuted on the 2025 list have remained top 10 concerns again this year: Artificial Intelligence in Trucking and Diesel Emissions Regulations.

"Just as we started to see some positive signs in the freight economy, the cost of diesel topped $6.50 per gallon," said Ben Banks, TCW President. "With operating costs continuing to climb overall, this spike in fuel costs is particularly painful for small- to mid-size fleets. ATRI's annual analysis is so essential for trucking to not only quantify the issues, but more importantly, to understand what we can collectively do as an industry to address each."

After holding on to the number one spot on the list for three years in a row, the Economy dropped down to #6 overall, reflecting some cautious optimism on the part of motor carriers. Given some positive signs in the economy, this year's list saw workforce issues come back into the top 10, with the Driver Shortage at #5 and Driver Retention at #10. Driver Compensation remained a top 10 issue, ranking 9^th overall. 

More than 48 percent of the survey respondents were motor carrier executives and personnel, truck drivers represented 26 percent, with the remaining 26 percent made up of other freight stakeholders. Among truck driver respondents – both owner-operators and company drivers – Fuel Prices, Truck Parking and Driver Compensation were the top three concerns, while motor carriers ranked Lawsuit Abuse Reform, Fuel Prices and the Driver Shortage as their top three concerns. 

Nearly 3,100 trucking industry stakeholders participated in this year's survey. Respondents included motor carriers, truck drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers and law enforcement, among other groups. This year's report also includes an analysis of the top concerns among law enforcement personnel, whose top-ranked issue was Electronic Logging Device Fraud. Finally, states that generated adequate response rates received state-specific TII analyses.

The complete results of the annual survey were released as part of 2026 American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition. The full report can be found on ATRI's website here.

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

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SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute