An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: A 2014 Update

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) first published an Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking report in 2008 to provide more accurate marginal cost data on motor carrier operations.

ATRI’s original literature review identified previous studies that reported cost calculation findings ranging from $32 per hour to over $370 per hour1; figures which were considered unreasonably high or low by industry stakeholders.

Additionally, some of these studies calculated costs using highly subjective “value of time” calculations that may extend far beyond direct costs – resulting in dramatic variability for industry costs depending on the metrics used.

Consequently, ATRI undertook research to document and quantify motor carriers’ key operational costs, stratified by fleet size, sector, and region of the country. The goal of the research was to accurately identify current operational costs based on real-world data provided directly from motor carriers. The resulting dataset could then be used by both motor carriers as a high level benchmarking tool, and by government agencies for various transportation impact analyses.

This research was initially identified as a top research priority in 2008 by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC)2. The RAC sought to better inform policymakers on the impact that new and ostensibly inefficient transportation funding strategies could have on freight movement. The trucking industry, being heavily reliant on the 4 million miles of roadway in the United States, has a vested interest in efficient, effective, and equitable funding and maintenance of the transportation system.

Due to the popularity of the initial report, ATRI now updates the “ops cost” research on an annual basis, making minor adjustments and improvements to the data collection methodology. Since its original publication in 2008, ATRI has received over 4,600 requests for the Analysis of the Operational Cost of Trucking reports.

To improve and streamline data collection, ATRI initiated a process for obtaining sensitive fleet cost data on an annual basis. This report includes the most recent 2013 cost data.