ATRI Opens 2026 Top Industry Issues Survey to Drivers and Fleets
Annual survey runs through Oct. 2, with results released at ATA Management Conference in Charlotte on Oct. 18.
What issues will ATRI's 2026 survey cover?
The American Transportation Research Institute opened its annual Top Industry Issues survey on Aug. 24, asking drivers, owner-operators, and fleet managers to rank concerns ranging from truck parking and driver pay to detention time and infrastructure. The survey runs through Oct. 2, with results scheduled for release Oct. 18 at the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ATRI has run the survey for more than two decades. Greg Hodgen, ATA chair and CEO of Groendyke Transport, said the results help identify industry priorities and inform trucking advocacy and policymaking.
Bob Bramwell, an America's Road Team Captain and professional driver for ABF Freight, encouraged drivers to participate. "If your top concern is the lack of truck parking, driver compensation, detention at customer facilities, driver training, infrastructure or something else, this is your chance to bring those issues to light and have your voice heard," he said.
Why the survey matters for equipment and maintenance decisions
The survey does not directly ask about truck specs or maintenance costs, but the issues it tracks shape what equipment small fleets can afford to run. Driver compensation and detention time affect whether an owner-operator can justify the higher payment on a new tractor versus keeping an older truck in service. Parking shortages influence APU and idle-reduction equipment decisions. Infrastructure quality (road conditions, weigh-station technology) drives suspension and tire replacement intervals.
ATRI's prior-year surveys have flagged driver retention, insurance costs, and regulatory compliance as recurring top-five concerns. Those pressures show up in equipment choices: fleets spec ADAS bundles to lower insurance premiums, adopt ELDs and telematics hardware to streamline compliance, and delay truck replacement to preserve cash when driver turnover spikes.
How to participate
Industry stakeholders can complete the survey online through Oct. 2. ATRI did not specify a minimum fleet size or driver experience requirement. The survey link is available on ATRI's website.
Results will be released Oct. 18 during the ATA Management Conference in Charlotte. Past surveys have drawn participation from carriers, drivers, and suppliers, with ATRI publishing ranked lists of the top 10 industry concerns and detailed breakdowns by stakeholder group.
What this means for small fleets
If you run five trucks or fewer, the survey is a chance to flag operational pain points that larger fleets may not prioritize. Detention time hits harder when you cannot absorb the lost revenue across a big fleet. Parking shortages cost more when your drivers cannot afford to shut down early to claim a spot. Driver training gaps matter more when you cannot spread the risk of a new hire across dozens of units.
The survey closes Oct. 2. If insurance premiums, parts availability, or equipment downtime are squeezing your margin, this is the annual window to put those issues on the record before ATRI compiles the industry's ranked concerns for 2026.
