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rule vacating and the most recent 2014 toP IndUStry ISSUeS
changes to the rules, which went into 1. Hours-of-Service
effect in 2013. 2. Driver Shortage
In 2014 the HOS rules were once 3. CSA
again the top ranked issue by survey
participants as the supply chain contin- 4. Driver Retention
ues to experience negative impacts from 5. Electronic Logging Device Mandate
the changes to the rules which limit the 6. Truck Parking
use of the 34-hour restart provision and 7. Infrastructure/Congestion/Transportation Funding
mandate a 30-minute rest break before 8. Driver Health/Wellness
driving after eight hours. Among the 9. Economy
impacts being experienced by the indus-
try are 80 percent of surveyed motor 10. Driver Distraction
carriers in ATRI’s research, Operational
and Economic Impacts of the New Issues 6-10 in the 2014 annual in ranking than this year’s number nine
Hours-of-Service Rules, who indicated survey are all critical and impact motor issue, the Economy. It first appeared on
a loss of productivity attributable to the carriers on a day-to-day basis, and the top ten list in 2008 and for three
new rules. the inter-connectivity of the issues is years it remained the number one issue
Coming in as a very close second unmistakable. Truck Parking (#6) has (2009 – 2011). However, as the econo-
place this year is the Driver Shortage received increased attention as the new my has continued to recover, it has been
which, like the HOS rules, continues HOS rules brought heightened aware- dropping in ranking, and this year it
to plague the supply chain at large as ness to the dramatic shortage of safe dropped from number four to number
motor carriers struggle to find quali- and available parking. In many loca- nine on the list.
fied drivers to meet freight demand. tions around the country, the scarcity This year there was a new entrant
Anecdotally, numerous carriers are now of truck parking can sometimes create to the list of top ten concerns. Coming
turning away revenue and loads due a dangerous dilemma for drivers who in at number ten, Driver Distraction
exclusively to the driver shortage, which must choose between continuing to reflects the growing attention on the
could have an impact on economic drive beyond allowable HOS rules to dangers of texting and driving by all
growth as well as inflation. find safe parking or park the vehicle in drivers and their impact on highway
Rounding out the top three this an undesignated location. safety.
year is CSA, reflecting continued indus- Number seven on this year’s The Top Industry Issues Survey pro-
try concern over the way that carrier list is a combination of issues that vides an important indicator of where
safety performance is evaluated under impact the trucking industry’s work- the industry’s attention is focused and
CSA. Number four on the list is Driver place – Infrastructure/Congestion/ which issues may rise to prominence
Retention, closely tied to the Driver Transportation Funding. In 2013 ATRI in the near future. It’s an important
Shortage, as carriers struggle to identify identified trucking industry costs of $9.2 tool for providing direction to industry
strategies for maintaining their best billion associated with congestion on the groups at the state and national levels
drivers while simultaneously searching Interstate system. The negative impacts in terms of the issues and strategies
for qualified new entrants. of congestion, crumbling infrastructure that motor carriers believe will have the
Rounding out the top five issues and the expiration of MAP-21 and the most impact on the industry for years
in the annual survey is the Electronic need for a long-term transportation to come. Armed with this informa-
Logging Device (ELD) mandate. The funding solution ensure that these issues tion, state trucking associations and
emergence of the mandate as an indus- will remain on the industry’s top 10 list the American Trucking Associations are
try concern coincided with the passage for the foreseeable future. better equipped to address the issues
of MAP-21 in 2012, which included The number eight issue, Driver more broadly and proactively.
a requirement that FMCSA issue a Health and Wellness, is appearing on
final rule on ELD use for HOS track- the top ten list for the third year in a ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)
(3) not-for-profit research organization.
ing. Earlier this year, FMCSA issued row. Given the concerns over driver It is engaged in critical research relating
a Supplemental Notice of Proposed retention and the driver shortage, as to freight transportation’s essential role
Rulemaking to address a number of well as potential health issues related to in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient
concerns identified by industry stake- truck driver lifestyle challenges, there transportation system. A copy of the
holders in the first ELD proposed rule, has been a concerted effort to make the 2014 Top Industry Issues Survey analysis
report is available from ATRI at www.
but the industry continues to await the trucking industry healthier. atri-online.org.
issuance of the ELD Final Rule. No issue experienced a larger drop

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