Charlotte – October 18, 2026 -- The economy fell to #6 on the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) 22nd annual Top Industry Issues list after three consecutive years at #1, as fuel prices, lawsuit abuse reform, CSA and insurance cost and availability moved to the forefront of trucking concerns.
Diesel above $6.50 per gallon squeezes smaller fleets
Ben Banks, TCW President, said diesel topping $6.50 per gallon arrived just as the freight economy showed positive signs. He called the spike "particularly painful" for small- to mid-size fleets, given that overall operating costs keep climbing.
Workforce issues return to the top 10
Driver Shortage ranked #5 and Driver Retention #10. Driver Compensation held its top 10 position at #9. Artificial Intelligence in Trucking and Diesel Emissions Regulations, both new to the list in 2025, remain top 10 concerns.
Drivers and carriers rank priorities differently
Truck drivers, both owner-operators and company drivers, named Fuel Prices, Truck Parking and Driver Compensation as their top three concerns. Motor carriers ranked Lawsuit Abuse Reform, Fuel Prices and the Driver Shortage highest. Law enforcement respondents placed Electronic Logging Device Fraud first.
Nearly 3,100 stakeholders respond to the survey
Motor carrier executives and personnel made up more than 48 percent of respondents. Truck drivers accounted for 26 percent, and the remaining 26 percent were other freight stakeholders, including industry suppliers, driver trainers and law enforcement. States with adequate response rates received state-specific analyses.
ATRI released the full results at the 2026 American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition.