Top challenges facing the trucking industry in 2024: carriers vs. drivers

The economy and parking remain the top challenges for the trucking sector this year.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its 20th annual report on the top issues in the trucking industry. This year’s list continues to include last year’s topics, such as the economy and tort reform, reflecting slower-than-expected changes.

Respondents included 45% of executives and carrier staff, and 31% of truck drivers. For drivers, the main concerns are the economy and compensation, while carriers focus on driver shortages. The report also ranks the concerns of operations staff.

Major issues in the trucking industry

The economy and parking remain the top challenges for the trucking sector this year. Overall results reflect an industry that still falls short of meeting the expectations and basic needs of drivers who contribute to the supply chain. According to the ATRI, the most significant issues for the trucking industry are:

Economy
Truck parking
Lawsuit abuse reform
Insurance cost/availability
Driver compensation

The industry has faced a freight recession for two years, making the economy a predictable top concern. Regarding parking, permits for building more spaces remain delayed, and drivers urgently need a solution. Lawsuit abuse reform jumped from sixth place last year to the top three in 2024, while insurance costs reappeared in the top 10 for the first time in years.

Key issues for carriers and commercial drivers

While the overall list is ranked by higher percentages, carriers and drivers differ in the order of issues affecting each in their respective areas. The individual rankings were as follows:

Carriers

Economy
Lawsuit abuse reform
Driver shortage
Insurance cost/availability
Driver retention

Drivers, including owner-operators

Parking
Driver compensation
Economy
Detention/delay at customer facilities
Speed limiters

The economy was the only issue that appeared in the top 5 across all categories, due to the industry’s recession, while parking is the top concern for drivers but ranks seventh overall. Priority issues for drivers may score highly in the survey, even if they don’t appear in the carriers’ top 10 concerns. This year, two topics made it into the top 10 due to strong driver concerns, despite not being on the carriers’ list: driver compensation and detention/delay issues.

Respondents recommended reforming or eliminating costly and ineffective regulations, extending tax cuts, and promoting nearshoring to reduce reliance on international supply chains. Lawsuit abuse reform and insurance costs ranked closely together. The survey included over 3,700 trucking industry stakeholders, including carriers, drivers, suppliers, trainers, and law enforcement, highlighting the industry’s biggest challenges in 2024.