American Trucking Associations

The trucking industry says new, tougher-than-expected emission standards for heavy-duty trucks recently announced by the Biden Administration have unachievable targets and will carry real consequences for the U.S. supply chain and movement of freight throughout the economy.

As the Biden administration moves ahead with planned deployment of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electric charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure from 2024 to 2040, trucking industry officials are warning of excessive costs associated with such electrification.

On March 11, a new rule from the Department of Labor goes into effect. Detractors say it will wreak havoc on independent business owners and freelancers throughout the country. Save Independent Work, a coalition of independent workers and advocacy groups, announced its new campaign to overturn the rule that would reclassify hundreds of thousands of independent workers, including independent business owners and freelancers, as employees.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 3.5% in January, to 111.0 (2015=100), following a 1.2% December gain.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for December, at 115.7 (2015=100), was up 2.1%, following 1.2% November decline.

A new regulatory finding by the Labor Department will result in a “tangled mess” for trucking’s estimated 350,000 independent contractors, the nation's largest trucking lobby is warning.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for November, at 113.7 (2015=100), was off 1%, following an 0.8% October gain, which came in at 114.9.

Federal regulators should review the process by which fleets’ Compliance Reviews (CRs) are conducted and how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) determines how and when reviews are conducted, the largest trucking interest group said in comments to the agency.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for October, at 115.2 (2015=100), was 1.1%, from September to October, reversing the 1.1% decrease, from August to September, which came in at 113.9.

In its “ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2023 to 2024,” ATA said that truck tonnage is pegged to increase to 14.2 billion tons by 2034. While 2034 is more than a decade from now, it is not unexpected to see such a high estimate, especially when taking into account now the ubiquitous mode routinely moves more than 70% of the nation’s freight.

Trucking interests are getting an additional 30 days to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) advance notice of proposed rulemaking related to a potential revamp of its carrier rating system.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for September, at 113.9 (2015=100), was down 1.1%, following a 0.2% increase, to 115.3, in from July to August.

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for August, came in at 115.3 (2015=100), for a 0.2% gain over July. July saw a 1.1% sequential gain, which was revised from an initial reading of 112.9, for a 0.8% decrease, reported by ATA on August 22 and a 0.3% June decline, which registered a 113.8 reading.

More than 50% of the survey’s respondents stated that the economy will enter into a recession within the next six months. As for reasons why this may be the case, responses included: high interest rates; high balances on credit cards; inflation; lower consumer demand; and high gasoline prices, among others.

ATRI said that this annual analysis, which is now in its 19th year, ranks industry issues overall, as well as provide insights into how critical topics are ranked differently by both motor carriers and professional drivers, while also allowing industry stakeholders to monitor trucking industry issues over time in order to gain a better understanding of which issues are rising, or falling, in criticality.