Fuel, safety and drivers take center stage at ATA’s Management Conference

I’ve spent the last few days at ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte, and nearly every conversation I had with customers came back to three topics: fuel, safety and drivers.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) ranks the trucking industry’s top concerns every year. This year’s report was released on Sunday, and high fuel prices jumped 17 spots to the No. 1 concern for fleet executives. For the first time, drivers ranked fuel as their top concern, too. Diesel has topped $6.50 a gallon, and the Energy Information Administration doesn’t expect prices to return to 2025 levels until at least 2028.

The rest of the list tells the bigger story. Operating costs excluding fuel reached $1.85 per mile, the highest ATRI has recorded in 18 years of tracking. The Compliance, Safety, Accountability program climbed to No. 3. The driver shortage is back in the top 10 at No. 5, with driver compensation and retention at No. 9 and No. 10. Fleets are being squeezed from every direction at once.

When I read that list, I see one person at the center of fuel, safety and retention: the driver.

This story was originally published by CCJ. Read the full story at CCJ →