Every year the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) asks the industry what its biggest problems are. The 2026 results came out on October 18, from 3,100 people: 26% drivers, 48% carrier staff and 26% others.
The overall top 10
- Fuel prices
- Lawsuit abuse reform
- CSA (safety scores)
- Insurance cost and availability
- Driver shortage
- Economy
- AI in trucking
- Diesel emissions rules
- Driver pay
- Driver retention
What drivers said
- Fuel prices
- Truck parking
- Pay
- Autonomous trucks
- English language proficiency rules
- AI in trucking
- Detention at shippers and receivers
- Broker issues
- Emissions rules
- Hours of service
What carriers said
Lawsuits, fuel, driver shortage, insurance, CSA, driver retention, the economy, emissions, driver pay and distracted driving.
What the gap tells you
Carriers put "driver shortage" and "driver retention" in their top 6. Drivers did not mention either, but they did put pay, parking and detention near the top.
That is the same problem seen from two sides. Drivers do not quit because they hate driving. They quit because of unpaid hours at the dock, no place to park at hour 10, and pay that does not match what the recruiter promised.
How to use this when choosing a job
- Ask about detention pay: after how many hours, and how much. See detention: the unpaid hours.
- Ask where drivers park on your lanes and whether the company pays for reserved parking.
- Get pay and home time in writing. That is the whole reason we started: why drivers do not trust recruiters.
Source: Trucking Dive: diesel price volatility is trucking's top issue in 2026 (ATRI)
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