ATRI Launches New Truck Driver Health Surveys

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has launched two new surveys to examine how truck driver health affects trucking operations, costs, and working conditions. The research will collect information from commercial truck drivers and motor carriers across the United States.

The initiative focuses on health challenges associated with truck driving, including limited access to healthy food, long periods of sitting, and difficulty maintaining physical activity while working on the road.

ATRI wants to better understand how these challenges affect drivers personally and how health-related issues may influence fleet operations.

Both surveys are open through Friday, November 13, 2026, and responses will remain confidential.

Truck Driver Health Survey Seeks Driver Experiences

One survey is designed specifically for truck drivers. It asks participants to share information about their health and experiences maintaining healthy habits while working.

According to ATRI, the survey collects information about:

• Medical certification: Basic information about commercial driver medical cards, including the length of time for which drivers are certified.
• Health and wellness: Experiences managing personal health while working on the road.
• Daily challenges: Difficulties maintaining healthy routines while traveling and working.
• Working conditions: Experiences that may affect drivers’ ability to stay healthy.

The driver survey is anonymous, allowing participants to share their experiences without identifying themselves.

ATRI is seeking information directly from drivers to better understand the challenges they face and how those challenges may relate to trucking operations.

Drivers interested in participating can complete the ATRI Truck Driver Health Survey online.

Why Truck Driver Health Is an Industry Concern

Commercial truck driving often involves long working hours, irregular schedules, and extended periods behind the wheel.

These conditions can make it difficult to maintain regular exercise, prepare balanced meals, and establish consistent sleep routines.

Access to healthy food can also vary depending on available truck stops, parking locations, and delivery schedules.

ATRI noted that previous research has documented higher rates of certain health conditions among truck drivers compared with workers in other occupations.

These conditions may affect quality of life, long-term health, and the ability to continue working.

For drivers, health challenges can also become employment concerns when they affect medical certification.

Most interstate commercial truck drivers subject to federal medical qualification requirements must maintain a valid medical examiner’s certificate.

Although a certificate may be issued for up to 24 months, some drivers receive shorter certification periods when medical conditions require additional monitoring.

The new research will examine medical card durations as one way of understanding health-related issues across the industry.

Motor Carriers Asked to Share Health and Cost Data

ATRI has also launched a separate survey for motor carriers.

Unlike the driver survey, which focuses on individual experiences, the motor carrier survey requests fleetwide information.

Participating companies are asked to provide averages and operational data involving:

• Medical examiner’s certificate durations.
• Employee health insurance costs.
• Operational performance indicators.
• Other fleetwide information relevant to health-related costs.

The research aims to identify possible relationships between driver health and trucking company performance.

ATRI is particularly interested in understanding whether health-related issues are associated with higher operating expenses, workforce challenges, or changes in productivity.

The organization is also encouraging motor carriers to distribute the driver survey among their employees.

Collecting information from both groups may help researchers compare driver experiences with fleetwide operational trends.

ATRI Research Will Examine Costs and Safety

The project is intended to explore how driver health may affect more than individual well-being.

ATRI plans to examine potential connections between health conditions and several industry outcomes, including healthcare expenses, workers’ compensation, employee turnover, productivity, and medical qualification.

Jeremy Reymer, founder and CEO of Project 61, said the research will help trucking companies better understand these relationships.

“We already know driver health can affect safety. The next question is how much it may also be affecting operational risk and cost,” Reymer said.

The study may help identify areas where health-related challenges contribute to operational expenses or workforce difficulties.

However, ATRI has not yet released findings from the surveys.

The research will need to evaluate the collected information before drawing conclusions about the relationship between driver health and fleet performance.

Medical Certification Is Part of the Research

One notable part of the new initiative is its focus on commercial driver medical certificates.

Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, most interstate commercial drivers must meet federal medical qualification standards.

A certified medical examiner evaluates whether a driver meets those requirements.

Some health conditions may require additional medical documentation, treatment, or shorter certification periods.

For example, drivers with certain conditions may need more frequent examinations to maintain their medical qualification.

By collecting information about medical card durations, ATRI may be able to identify patterns involving certification periods and broader health-related challenges.

The research announcement does not indicate that ATRI is proposing changes to federal medical qualification standards.

Instead, medical certification is one of several measures the organization plans to examine.

How Truck Drivers Can Participate Before November 13

ATRI is accepting survey responses from truck drivers and motor carriers until Friday, November 13, 2026.

The driver survey is anonymous, and ATRI states that all survey responses will be kept confidential.

Truck drivers can access the questionnaire through the following link:

ATRI Truck Driver Health Survey

Motor carriers can participate through the separate survey made available by ATRI.

The organization is encouraging trucking companies to share the driver questionnaire with their workforce to increase participation.

No survey results or publication date for the completed research were provided in the announcement.

What the Truck Driver Health Study Could Reveal

The new research is intended to provide additional information about the relationship between driver health, medical qualification, and trucking operations.

For drivers, the study offers an opportunity to document health challenges associated with working on the road.

For motor carriers, the findings may provide information about the potential financial and operational effects of health-related issues.

The results could also contribute to broader industry discussions about working conditions, driver retention, and access to health resources.

For now, ATRI is collecting information rather than recommending new regulations or industry requirements.

The November 13 deadline marks the end of the current data collection period, after which researchers can begin evaluating the responses.