Each year the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) releases the "Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry" study ranking the top ten issues industry members identify in a survey. PMTA distributes this survey to members. If a state turns in over 40 responses, ATRI will put together a top ten list for that individual state along with solutions to address those issues.
This is Pennsylvania's Top Ten List for 2023:
1. Truck Parking
- Advocate for a dedicated federal funding program to increase truck parking capacity at freight-critical locations.
- Encourage local and regional governments to reduce the regulatory burdens limiting the construction and expansion of truck parking facilities.
- Research the relationship between truck parking availability and highway safety.
2. Economy
- Identify and promote reforming / repealing ineffective and burdensome regulations that increase industry costs without providing benefits.
- Quantify the impact of increasing trucking operational costs on the supply chain and nation’s economy.
- Advocate for reshoring and near-shoring of equipment and parts manufacturing to reduce the reliance on international supply chains.
3. Driver Shortage
- Advocate for expanding interstate CDL eligibility to 18-20-year-old drivers.
- Research the primary factors behind drivers leaving trucking careers.
- Support an industry-funded outreach program to improve the trucking industry’s image.
4. Driver Retention
- Research and promote the retention strategies of carriers that continuously experience low driver turnover.
- Conduct market research on truck driver experiences and perspectives mapped to truck driver tenure data.
- Evaluate the impact of truck driver benefits, including health insurance and retirement benefits, on driver retention.
5. CSA
- Work with FMCSA to update its carrier prioritization methodology, improve its accuracy, and enhance transparency in CSA.
- Advocate for FMCSA to speed up the DataQ process by improving internal processes for reviewing Request for Data Reviews (RDRs).
6. Driver Distraction
- Advocate for national standards for distracted driving laws for all motorists.
- Encourage harsher penalties and more aggressive enforcement of distracted driving laws for all road users.
- Quantify the role of car driver distraction in car-truck crashes.
7. Lawsuit Abuse Reform
- Promote state-level reform to cap damages paid to plaintiffs in truck-involved crashes.
- Quantify the impact of third-party litigation funding on trial outcomes.
8. Equipment / Parts Shortages
- Analyze recent data on equipment costs, availability, and economic conditions to improve industry response to future shortages.
- Investigate the challenges and requirements of near-shoring and other truck parts sourcing practices.
9. Driver Training Standards
- Work with driver training schools to develop and/or update “best practices” and model curricula.
- Research the impact of Entry-Level Driver Training regulations on highway safety.
10. Zero-Emission Vehicles
- Quantify the charging infrastructure requirements and subsequent supply chain cost increases of zero-emission truck mandates.
- Assess the potential of a Federal Excise Tax (FET) repeal for encouraging fleet investment in newer, more energy-efficient equipment.
- Research the impacts of battery-electric vehicles on transportation infrastructure, crash response and first responder safety.
