ATRI Report: Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking 2026 Update

ATRI Report Shows Trucking Costs Hit Record High as Profits Remain Under Pressure

The latest ATRI Report shows that trucking companies continued to face record operating costs throughout 2025, even after cutting trucks, reducing staff, and making other cost-saving changes.

According to the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking, the average cost to operate a truck reached an all-time high of $2.336 per mile in 2025. At the same time, many carriers reported operating margins below one percent, highlighting the financial pressure that has continued throughout the freight downturn.

ATRI Report Finds Operating Costs Reached a Record High

The ATRI Report found that the average operational cost of trucking increased 3.4% compared to 2024.

When fuel costs are removed from the equation, operating expenses climbed even faster, increasing 4.2% to $1.854 per mile. The report notes that nearly every major cost category reached record highs during 2025, with the exception of fuel and permits.

Several expenses posted significant year-over-year increases, including:

• Tolls: +13.2%
• Repair and maintenance: +8.6%
• Driver benefits: +6.6%
• Tires: +6.4%
• Truck insurance: +3.9%
• Driver wages: +2.5%

While diesel prices remained relatively stable during much of 2025, the ATRI Report found that nearly every other expense category continued moving higher, creating additional financial pressure for fleets.

ATRI Report Shows Fleets Reduced Capacity

With freight demand remaining weak, many carriers responded by reducing operating capacity rather than expanding.

According to the ATRI Report, fleets reduced truck counts by 2.4%, marking the largest reduction in capacity since the freight recession began in 2022. Even after those reductions, carriers reported that approximately 10% of their trucks remained without drivers on average.

The report also found several additional trends across the industry:

• Average truck age increased.
• Annual truck mileage increased to nearly 86,000 miles.
• Deadhead mileage remained elevated.
• Non-driver staffing levels declined by 7.8%.

These changes suggest carriers continued looking for ways to reduce expenses while waiting for stronger freight demand to return.

ATRI Report Highlights Thin Profit Margins

Despite aggressive cost-cutting, profitability remained limited for many trucking companies.

The ATRI Report found that operating margins for both truckload and refrigerated carriers remained below 1% during 2025.

Flatbed carriers performed even worse, recording an average operating margin of negative 0.5%, meaning the average flatbed carrier lost money on operations.

Tank carriers averaged a healthier 4% operating margin, while less-than-truckload (LTL) fleets and carriers operating more than 1,000 trucks remained among the strongest financial performers, although their margins were largely unchanged from the previous year.

Driver Compensation Continued to Increase

The ATRI Report found that driver compensation remained the industry’s largest single operating expense.

In 2025, fleets spent an average of:

• 81.8 cents per mile on driver wages.
• 21.0 cents per mile on driver benefits.

Combined, driver compensation exceeded $1.00 per mile for the first time, averaging $1.028 per mile across the industry.

However, the ATRI Report notes that driver wage growth has slowed compared to the rapid increases seen during the pandemic freight boom. Driver wages increased 2.5% during 2025, slightly below the overall inflation rate, while benefit costs continued rising more rapidly.

Early 2026 Data Points to Continued Cost Increases

The ATRI Report also included preliminary data from the first quarter of 2026.

Several operating expenses continued increasing, including:

• Truck insurance (+6.4%)
• Fuel (+5.9%)
• Driver benefits (+4.5%)
• Tolls (+2.7%)
• Repair and maintenance (+2.4%)

Tire costs were the only major category that declined during the first quarter.

According to the ATRI Report, freight rates have started improving in 2026, but carriers continue to face elevated operating expenses that are limiting profitability.

ATRI Report Says Cost Discipline Will Remain Important

PGT Trucking Chief Operating Officer Chad Marsilio said freight markets are beginning to improve, but carriers cannot afford to relax their focus on controlling expenses.

According to Marsilio, the combination of recovering freight rates and rapidly increasing operating costs means fleets will need to continue closely managing expenses as the industry works toward a broader recovery.

The annual ATRI Report is widely used throughout the trucking industry to benchmark operating costs, compare financial performance, and identify emerging trends affecting carriers. Participating fleets also receive customized reports comparing their operations with similar carriers.