Hours-of-Service Back As Top Concern In Annual Trucking Industry Survey

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American Transportation Research Institute

Oct 21, 2013, 08:00 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry's not-for-profit research institute, today unveiled its list of the top ten critical issues facing the North American trucking industry.

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The changes to the federal commercial driver Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules that went into effect July 1, 2013 caused HOS to top the list in ATRI's annual survey of more than 4,000 trucking industry executives. The complete results were released at the 2013 Management Conference and Exhibition of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) meeting in Orlando, FL, the nation's largest gathering of motor carrier executives. The ATRI Top Industry Issues report also solicited and tabulated specific strategies for addressing each issue.

Continued concern over the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program caused that issue to rank second this year, after ranking first in 2012. Worry over the implications of a driver shortage resulted in that issue ranking third in this year's survey while concern over the economy lessened, causing that issue to slip one position to fourth place. Continued economic growth, coupled with CSA and HOS changes may be contributing factors to the driver shortage according to some in the industry.

The ATA-commissioned survey results and proposed strategies will be utilized by the ATA Federation to better focus its advocacy role on behalf of the U.S. trucking industry and ATA Federation stakeholders.

"ATRI's annual survey of top industry issues makes it easier for us to keep track of all the complex forces affecting motor carriers and drivers so that we can focus on running a safe and profitable industry," said ATA chairman Mike Card, President, Combined Transport, Inc., Central Point, OR.

"As we all know, the trucking industry constantly faces changes and challenges to how we operate safely and efficiently," ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said. "However, our industry has always responded to these issues with determination and ATRI's work gives us the information to decide where to focus our energies first and foremost."

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system. A copy of the survey results is available from ATRI at www.atri-online.org.

SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute