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The Newsletter of the Non-Profit Research Organization for the Trucking Industry

For the Third Year in a Row, the Economy is the

Trucking Industry’s Top Concern

ATRI has released its annual report that identifies the trucking industry’s leading issues. This year’s list includes the Economy, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, Insurance Cost and Availability, and Truck Parking. The list also debuts four first-time issues including English Language Proficiency for Drivers and Artificial Intelligence in Trucking.

While the Economy retained its #1 spot, Lawsuit Abuse Reform and Insurance Cost and Availability each rose one spot, to be the #2 and #3 top concerns, respectively. The lack of available Truck Parking dropped two spots this year to the #4 concern and Driver Compensation held on to its #5 position. 

2025 Truck Driver and Motor Carrier Top Three Concerns

Over 46 percent of the survey respondents were motor carrier executives and personnel, truck drivers represented 30 percent, with the remaining 23 percent made up of other freight stakeholders. Among truck driver respondents, Driver Compensation, Truck Parking and English Language Proficiency were the top three concerns, while motor carriers ranked the Economy, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, and Insurance Cost and Availability as their top three concerns. Read More Here

New ATRI Research Confirms the High Costs of

Cargo Theft to Industry

ATRI has released new research on the growing problem of cargo theft. The research obtained detailed cargo theft data from motor carriers, logistics service providers (LSPs), insurers and other stakeholders to understand and quantify the scale and causes of cargo theft.

The report also includes a series of case studies documenting the real-world cargo theft experiences of shippers and motor carriers.

The research documents the high cost of theft to both motor carriers – who average more than $520,000 in annual theft losses, and to LSPs – who average more than $1.84 million in annual losses. The annualized cargo theft cost to the industry is as high as $6.6 billion, or more than $18 million per day. 

Read More Here

ATRI is seeking motor carriers to participate in research on rising insurance costs and strategies for managing risk.

Trucking auto liability premiums rose by 36 percent per mile in the past 8 years amid persistent unprofitability for insurers, even as truck crashes declined over the past 4 years. In 2025, insurance cost/availability and lawsuit abuse, a primary contributor to rising insurance costs, were voted as the third- and second-greatest issues facing the trucking industry respectively.

In response to this financial pressure, fleets are reevaluating their total cost of risk by pursuing a variety of new technologies, training protocols, and insurance schemes, such as self-insurance or captives. Prior ATRI research detailed how fleets reduced coverage and raised deductibles from 2018 to 2020 in search of savings, self-incentivizing safety improvements but still experiencing higher premiums. ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC) identified expanding upon this prior research as a top priority in order to better understand and assess industry-wide trends in the ongoing adoption and effectiveness of these strategies.

Motor carriers are requested to submit data on their coverage stacks for the years 2021 through 2024, in addition to information on their use of safety technology and alternative insurance arrangements. All data is kept completely confidential for analysis in aggregate form only, and ATRI will sign non-disclosure agreements as desired. 

“The total cost of risk is growing annually for every fleet, regardless of size. While many carriers are cutting back on insurance coverage to control expenses, premiums keep climbing—and reducing coverage only heightens exposure to catastrophic litigation,” said Josh Hankins, J.B. Hunt Senior VP of Safety & Security. “Today, trucking faces a perfect insurance storm. Fortunately, ATRI’s insurance research will offer critical insights into strategies fleets can adopt to manage these costs and measure their impact.”

All participating carriers will receive a customized report that compares their fleet’s cost of risk to an anonymized peer group. Motor carriers can complete the survey by PDF or online here. The deadline is Friday, December 19. 

ATRI has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors:

• Mike Ludwick, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bison USA, Winnipeg, MB
• Michael Kiely, President, Global Government Affairs, UPS, Washington, DC

The appointments were made by ATRI Chairman of the Board Derek Leathers, Werner Enterprises Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“ATRI has always benefitted from an engaged Board of Directors, and we welcome the addition of Mr. Ludwick and Mr. Kiely,” said ATRI President and COO Rebecca Brewster. “Both gentlemen are long-time supporters of ATRI, and we look forward to working with them.”

Thank You!

For nearly 25 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. In recognition of all that ATRI does, the following organizations and individuals supported ATRI with a charitable contribution in 2025. (As of 11/19/2025)

In Honor of

Ed Crowell

Mike Tunnell

In Memory of

Angela Kane

John Pruitt

Roger Tucker

Whether you make a personal contribution or contribute on behalf of your organization, your financial support will ensure that we can continue to produce award-winning research to support your business and your industry. Please consider adding your name to this list of industry leaders by giving to ATRI today.

ATRI President Rebecca Brewster and ATRI RAC Chairman, A&M Transport CEO Andy Owens join Josh Fisher on FleetOwner's Fleet Lead Podcast for a discussion on the 2025 Top 10 Trucking Issues. Click image above to listen.

ATRI VP Jeff Short joins Jimmy Mac on Road Gang Radio for a discussion on ATRI's latest report on the cost of cargo theft. Click image above to listen.

ATRI President Rebecca Brewster joins OOIDA for a discussion on ATRI's 2025 Top Industry Issues. Click image above to watch video.

ATRI's Research Analyst Andrew Fain and Senior Research Associate Alex Leslie share the latest research at the ATRI booth in the exhibit hall at ATA's 2025 MC&E.

ATA President Chris Spear and ATRI President Rebecca Brewster jointly made a charitable contribution to ATRI in honor of Mike Tunnell's upcoming retirement and his 30 years of service to ATRI.  

ATRI President Rebecca Brewster leads the Big Reveal panel at ATA's 2025 MC&E, joined by Andy Owens, CEO of A & M Transport, Emily Plummer, ART Captain and Driver for Prime, Inc. and Adam Kahn, Transportation Technologist with Netradyne.

ATRI Research Assistant Carla Rose discusses TechCelerate Now at the booth during the 2025 Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference.

ATRI SVP Dan Murray presents during a session at the 2025 Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference.

Upcoming opportunities to hear the ATRI team talk about the latest research:

November 21: Vertical Alliance Group Webinar Infinit-i Workforce Webinar, online – Rebecca Brewster

November 24 at 10:30 a.m ET: ATRI on the Air on Radio Nemo's Road Gang Radio - Rebecca Brewster discusses ATRI's Top Industry Issue 1-5

December 2-3: FHWA Research and Technology Coordinating Committee, Washington, DC – Dan Murray

December 16-17: Midwest Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit, Kansas City, MO – Dan Murray and Audrey Clark

December 22 at 10:30 a.m ET: ATRI on the Air on Radio Nemo's Road Gang Radio - Rebecca Brewster discusses ATRI's Top Industry Issue 6-10

January 7-8: Nirvana Insurance 2026 Market Kick Off, Chicago, IL – Dan Murray

January 11-14: 2026 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington, DC – All ATRI Staff

January 18-20: 2026 America's Road Team Judging, Washington, DC – Rebecca Brewster

January 27: Minnesota Trucking Association Safety Conference, Vadnais Heights, MN – Dan Murray

ATRI's Weekly Key Research Highlights

Each Wednesday, ATRI shares key research findings from one of its studies on social media. In one of the latest posts, ATRI Senior Research Associate Alex Leslie discusses ATRI's latest research on the costs of detention located on ATRI's website here. Be sure to follow ATRI on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest from ATRI’s research each week.

Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry - 2025

The Fight Against Cargo Theft: Insights from the Trucking Industry

Addressing the Shortage of Qualified Diesel Technicians

Evolving Truck Driver Demographics: Issues and Opportunities

An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2025 Update

Expanding Truck Parking at Public Rest Areas

AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE | TruckingResearch.org

Atlanta, GA • Minneapolis, MN • Washington, DC • Sacramento, CA

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.