The American Transport Research Institute (ATRI) has compiled the Top 10 issues the trucking industry is currently facing, none of which would come as a shock, according to vice-president Dan Murray.
As reported by Truck News:
The driver shortage has been a hurdle the industry has been trying to clear for some time, with an aging driver demographic and few young professionals knocking down the industry’s door.
“We are really, really old,” said Murray during Omnitracs Outlook 2018, adding that trucking has the lowest percentage of young people getting into the workforce.
Coming second is the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate in the U.S., an issue that spent plenty of time in the top spot prior to the legislation becoming law this past December.
Hours-of-service came in at number three, while truck parking, driver retention, compliance, safety, accountability (CSA), the economic impact of regulations, driver distraction, infrastructure/congestion/funding, and driver health and wellness rounded out the Top 10.
Safe, available space for drivers to park is not only a considerable problem in the U.S. and Canada, but is also having a financial impact on drivers and carriers.
Murray said the ATRI worked with a couple of hundred drivers to document their experience with parking areas, as well as determining how often drivers park illegally. Of those surveyed, 36% said they park illegally three to four times a week, and 25% said they do the deed one to two times on a weekly basis.
According to ATRI research, drivers lose $4,600 annually looking for a place to pull over and park, showing there is a vital need for more space.
Top industry concerns do differ between drivers and carriers. Drivers in the U.S. still feel the ELD mandate is the top issue they have to deal with, with parking coming in at number two followed by hours-of-service.
For carriers, the driver shortage is the top worry, the ELD mandate second, and driver retention third.
Another large detriment to profitability in the industry is congestion, accounting for the loss of $63.4 billion in 2015 and millions of hours of productivity.
Also, appearing at number 10 on the list of concerns for drivers is the idea that autonomous trucks will take over, resulting in major job losses.