New ATRI Report Reveals Top Truck Driver Concerns in 2026

Fuel prices, truck parking, and driver compensation are among the leading concerns for professional truck drivers in 2026. However, a new industry report shows that drivers and trucking companies have different priorities.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its annual Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry – 2026 report in October. The findings highlight the financial, regulatory, and operational challenges facing the industry.

More than 3,000 trucking industry stakeholders participated in the survey, including professional drivers, motor carriers, industry suppliers, and law enforcement personnel.

The results show that truck driver concerns often differ from the issues trucking companies consider most important.

Truck Driver Concerns: Fuel Prices Take the Top Spot

Fuel prices ranked as the trucking industry’s leading concern in 2026, jumping 17 positions from the previous year.

This marks only the fourth time fuel prices have topped ATRI’s annual rankings since the survey began in 2005. They previously held the top position in 2005, 2008, and 2022.

For the first time, fuel prices also ranked as the number one concern among professional truck drivers.

According to ATRI, rising diesel costs place immediate financial pressure on trucking operations. Smaller fleets and independent contractors are particularly vulnerable because fuel represents a significant operating expense.

The report also found that 65.2% of respondents who selected fuel prices as a concern favored federal action to stabilize fuel supplies and limit price increases.

Truck Parking Remains a Major Driver Concern

Truck parking ranked second among professional drivers, highlighting the continued importance of safe and accessible parking.

However, truck parking dropped to 11th place in the overall industry rankings. This was the first time since 2012 that the issue fell outside the industry’s top 10.

The difference shows how concerns can vary between those operating trucks and other industry stakeholders.

Limited parking availability can complicate trip planning and make it difficult for drivers to find suitable locations to rest while complying with federal hours-of-service regulations.

ATRI noted that public funding for truck parking has increased in response to the problem.

The organization is also working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop an online tool that evaluates the potential benefits of investments in additional truck parking.

Despite its lower overall ranking, truck parking remains one of the most consistent concerns among professional drivers.

Driver Compensation Remains a Top Priority

Driver compensation ranked third among truck drivers but only ninth in the overall industry survey.

The difference reflects the importance drivers place on earnings, even as other industry stakeholders focus on regulatory and operating costs.

ATRI cited recent research showing that driver wages have continued to increase despite the prolonged freight recession.

According to the American Trucking Associations’ 2026 Driver Compensation Study, median pay for dedicated-route employee drivers increased 4.2% compared with 2023.

However, ATRI’s operational cost research found that recent increases in driver wages remained below inflation.

The report also identified several potential areas for additional research, including:

• How different compensation models affect driver satisfaction and productivity.
• Whether retention, safety, and fuel economy bonuses improve driver compensation.
• How trucking wages compare with compensation in other industries.

Among respondents who identified driver compensation as a leading concern, 36.2% favored examining how compensation models relate to driver satisfaction, retention, and productivity.

Company Drivers and Owner-Operators Have Different Concerns

The ATRI report also examined differences between company drivers and owner-operators or independent contractors.

Although both groups identified truck parking as their second-highest concern, their other priorities varied.

Company drivers ranked their top five concerns as:

1. Driver compensation
2. Truck parking
3. Autonomous trucks
4. Artificial intelligence in trucking
5. English language proficiency for drivers

Owner-operators and independent contractors ranked their top five concerns as:

1. Fuel prices
2. Truck parking
3. Broker issues
4. Diesel emissions regulations
5. English language proficiency for drivers

These rankings highlight different financial and operational pressures.

Company drivers placed compensation first, while owner-operators identified fuel prices as their leading concern.

Technology also featured more prominently among company drivers. Autonomous trucks and artificial intelligence ranked third and fourth, respectively.

Meanwhile, owner-operators placed greater emphasis on broker issues and diesel emissions regulations.

Truck Driver Concerns Differ From Motor Carrier Priorities

The report found substantial differences between the priorities of professional drivers and motor carriers.

While drivers ranked fuel prices, truck parking, and compensation as their top three concerns, motor carriers identified a different set of priorities.

The five leading concerns among motor carriers were:

1. Lawsuit abuse reform
2. Fuel prices
3. Driver shortage
4. Insurance cost and availability
5. Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

Lawsuit abuse reform ranked first among motor carriers and second across the entire industry.

ATRI linked concerns about litigation to rising insurance costs. Its research found that liability insurance premiums increased 18.2% between 2021 and 2024, exceeding inflation during that period.

The report also found that insurance increases were particularly challenging for smaller fleets.

Fuel prices were the only issue appearing among the top two concerns for both professional drivers and motor carriers.

What the 2026 ATRI Report Reveals About the Industry

Beyond the differences between drivers and carriers, the survey identified several changes in the industry’s overall priorities.

The economy dropped from first to sixth place after ranking as the industry’s leading concern for three consecutive years.

ATRI suggested that the decline could reflect cautious optimism as freight rates showed signs of improvement.

However, the report noted that the recovery has been driven partly by reductions in trucking capacity rather than a substantial increase in freight demand.

Artificial intelligence in trucking also moved higher, rising from 10th to seventh place.

Among drivers, autonomous trucks ranked fourth overall, while artificial intelligence ranked sixth. The findings show that technology remains an important issue for the workforce.

Meanwhile, diesel emissions regulations held eighth place in the overall rankings.

The report also identified electronic logging device fraud as the leading concern among law enforcement respondents.

How ATRI Conducted the 2026 Survey

ATRI conducted its annual survey between August 24 and October 2, 2026.

Participants selected and ranked their three most important issues from a list of 27 concerns.

The respondent groups included:

• Motor carrier executives and personnel: 48.5%
• Professional truck drivers: 25.8%
• Other industry stakeholders: 25.7%

ATRI used a weighted scoring system to develop the final rankings, assigning more points to issues identified as higher priorities.

The findings provide a snapshot of industry concerns rather than a measurement of how frequently each problem occurs.

Overall, the 2026 ATRI report shows that rising operating costs remain a major challenge across trucking. However, truck driver concerns continue to center on everyday working conditions, earnings, parking availability, and changes affecting the profession.