ATRInsider March 2023 | Vol. 19 Issue 1

ATRI Issues Call for Motor Carriers to Participate in Annual Operational Costs Data Collection
ATRI has issued a request for motor carriers to participate in its annual Operational Costs of Trucking research.

ATRI’s 15th-annual Operational Costs of Trucking is one of the most used and most comprehensive benchmarking tools in the trucking industry. ATRI confidentially collects costs and operational data directly from trucking fleets and owner-operators, and its analysis reveals key trends for fleets of each sector, size, and region. Participating fleets will receive a customized report comparing your cost metrics to fleets of a similar size and sector.
"ATRI’s Ops Costs report is indispensable for benchmarking our operations; it confirms what we are doing well and notes where we can achieve additional cost savings,” said James Burg, James Burg Trucking Company President and CEO. “And the customized peer-group assessment is invaluable to our benchmarking activities.”
 
For-hire motor carriers are encouraged to provide operational cost data to ATRI by Friday, April 28. All confidential information is protected, and it is published only in anonymized, aggregate form.
ATRI’s 2023 Bottleneck List Provides Critical Insight into Infrastructure Investment Needs throughout America
Click image above to watch the data animation from the 2023 #1 Truck Bottleneck location in Fort Lee, NJ: I-95 at SR4 which represents 48 hours of weekday truck speeds.
ATRI recently released its 12th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America.

For the fifth year in a row, the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey is once again the Number One freight bottleneck in the country.
The remaining Top 10 bottlenecks include:

  • Chicago: I-294 at I-290/I-88
  • Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
  • Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
  • Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West)
  • Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94
  • Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57
  • Los Angeles: I-710 at I-105
  • Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)
  • San Bernardino, California: I-10 at I-15

ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2022, found traffic conditions continue to deteriorate from recent years as more Americans returned to work post-pandemic. Consequently, supply chain bottlenecks occurred throughout the country. Average rush hour truck speeds were 36.3 MPH, down more than six percent from the previous year. Among the top-10 locations, average rush hour truck speeds were less than 30 MPH. (Read More)
ATRI Seeks Motor Carrier Input on the Impact of Marijuana Legalization on the Trucking Industry’s Workforce
ATRI is collecting data on the impact of marijuana legalization on the trucking industry’s workforce. This research was identified as a top priority in 2022 by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee and will expand on ATRI’s 2019 study on the impacts of marijuana legalization on roadway safety.

Motor carrier staff and executives familiar with driver recruitment, retention and drug testing practices and trends are asked to share their input through the online survey. This timely research will provide insight into the specific challenges motor carriers face as the use of recreational marijuana grows in the U.S. The findings should also provide insight into approaches the industry can take to address these challenges.

“States are moving quickly to legalize recreational marijuana use,” said Fred Fakkema, Vice President of Safety and Compliance at Zonar Systems and Chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board. “This rapid change directly impacts fleets and their workforce; ATRI’s research will help quantify those impacts.”
ATRI Team Talks Trucking

Rebecca Brewster joins Dan Ronan on TT Newsmakers to breakdown the top 100 bottlenecks and discuss opportunities for decision makers address supply chain challenges. Click image to watch.
Jeffrey Short joins Matt Coles on Overdrive Radio to take a closer look at the life-cycle emissions associated with the production and operation of diesel, battery-electric and hydrogen-powered trucks. Click image to watch.
Dan Murray joins Steve Keppler (Scopelitis Transportation Consulting), Sean Garney (Scopelitis Transportation Consulting) and John Biblis (TrueNorth) in this episode of TrueNorth Truck Thought Podcast to discuss truck driver behavior. Click image to watch.
2022 ATRI Contributors
Thank You for Your Support!
For over 20 years, ATRI has provided award-winning research to improve the trucking industry’s safety and productivity. Our mission is clear and our dedicated team of research professionals deliver on that mission each and every day. And, in recognition of all that ATRI does, the following organizations and individuals supported ATRI with a charitable contribution in 2022. Please consider adding your name to this list by giving to ATRI today.
A&M Transport
Ability TriModal Transportation Services
Alabama Trucking Association
Amanda Schuier
Amy Boerger
ArcBest Corporation
Arizona Trucking Association
Arkansas Trucking Association
Ben Banks
Best Transportation
Best Way Express
Bison Transport
Boyle Transportation
Brenny Transportation
Bulldog Hiway Express
Burns Motor Freight
C.H. Robinson Worldwide
Candor Expedite
Carbon Express
Cargo Transporters
Carla Rose
Charlie Hoekema Trucking, Inc.
Chris Spear
Colorado Motor Carriers Association
Combined Transport
CRINC
CRST
Cummins Inc.
Dale Lindgren
Dan Van Alstine
David and Betsy Manning
Doug Voss
Eagle Transport
Excargo Services, Inc.
FedEx Corporation
Florida Trucking Association
Garner Transportation Group
Georgia Motor Trucking Association
GetGo Transportation LLC
Grand Island Express
Great West Casualty Company
Greg and Val Owen
Groendyke Transportation
Hoekstra Transportation, LLC
Hooiser Air Transport
Idaho Trucking Association
Illinois Trucking Association
Independent Carrier Safety Association
Indiana Motor Truck Association
Iowa Motor Truck Association
J and M Tank Lines, Inc.
James Burg Trucking Company
Jennifer Matthews
Jim Fields
John Flannagan
Judy and Lance McReynolds
Kansas Motor Carriers Association
Kenan Advantage Group
Kentucky Trucking Association
Kevin Burch
K-Limited Carrier, Ltd.
Landstar Systems, Inc.
Lester R. Summers, Inc.
Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance LLC
Louisiana Motor Transport Association
LTL Service, Inc
Maine Motor Transport Association
Maryland Motor Truck Association
Maverick Transportation
McCoy Group
Medallion Transportation & Logistics
Melton Truck Lines
Mike Tunnell
Minnesota Trucking Association
Mississippi Trucking Association
Missouri Trucking Association
Montana Trucking Association
Motor Transport Association of Connecticut
National Tank Truck Carriers
Nebraska Trucking Association
Nevada Trucking Association
NEVCAL Trucking
New Hampshire Motor Transport Association
New Mexico Trucking Association
North Carolina Trucking Association Foundation
North Dakota Motor Carriers Association
Ohio Trucking Association
Oklahoma Trucking Association
Old Dominion Freight Line
Oregon Trucking Association
Ozark Motor Lines
Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
Perfect Transportation LLC
PGT Trucking LLC
Phelan Insurance Agency
Pilot Flying J
Pitt Ohio
PrePass Safety Alliance
Pressure Systems International
Prime, Inc.
Randy Guillot
Rebecca Brewster
Rhode Island Trucking Association
Rich and Lisa Bren
Ruan
Schneider National
Scopelitis, Garvin, Hanson & Feary
Shehab Moustafa
Shorty and Ro Whittington
South Carolina Trucking Association
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
TAEC Region II
TCW, Inc.
Tennessee Trucking Association
Texas Trucking Association
Todd Reiser
Toledo Trucking Association
Tommy Hodges
Total Transportation of Mississippi LLC
Trucking Association of Massachusetts
Trucking Association of New York
TrueNorth Companies
U.S. Bank
UPS
Usher Transport
Utah Trucking Association
Vermont Truck and Bus Association
Vertical Alliance Group
Washington Trucking Associations
Werner Enterprises
Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association
WTAEC
Wyoming Trucking Association
Yellow
Contributions in Honor of
Judy McReynolds

Contributions in Memory of
Becky Windsor
Upcoming opportunities to hear the ATRI team talk about the latest research:
  • March 7 at 9am ET, Petroleum Packaging Council Spring Meeting 2023, Savannah, GA - Rebecca Brewster

  • March 8 - Great West Trucking Leadership Symposium, Omaha, NE - Dan Murray

  • March 9 at 9am ET, ATRI on the Air on the Nemo Show, SiriusXM Ch. 146 – Rebecca Brewster

  • March 16 at 9:30am CT, Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance Transportation Go!, Omaha, NE - Alex Leslie

  • March 21 Tri-State Safety Summit, South Sioux City, NE - Rebecca Brewster

  • March 25 Safety Drive for a Cure, Atlanta, GA - Rebecca Brewster and Carla Rose

  • March 29 Great West Trucking Leadership Symposium, Boise, IA - Dan Murray

  • March 30 to April 1 - Mid-America Trucking Show, Louisville, KY - Carla Rose and Abbigail Markus 
Download a Free Copy of ATRI's Latest Research
ATRI's 2023 Top 100 Bottleneck List
Charging Infrastructure Challenges for the U.S. EV Fleet - Full Report
Charging Infrastructure Challenges for the U.S. EV Fleet - Exec Summary
Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry - 2022
Predicting Truck Crash Involvement: 2022 Update
An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2022 Update
AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE | TruckingResearch.org

ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501c3 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.