Page 23 - ATR 1 2016 web

the arkansas top ten

ATRI reports top ten trucking concerns in Arkansas

2015 Top Industry Issues Survey

National respondents arkansas-based respondents
1. Hours-of-Service (HoS) 1. driver Shortage

2. Compliance, Safety, accountability (CSa) 2. driver retention
3. driver Shortage 3. Compliance, Safety, accountability (CSa)
4. driver retention 4. Hours-of-Service (HoS)

5. Truck parking 5. Truck parking
6. Electronic logging device (Eld) mandate 6. Economy
7. driver Health and wellness 7. Electronic logging device (Eld) mandate

8. Economy 8. Transportation Infrastructure/ Congestion/ funding (tie)
9. Transportation Infrastructure/ Congestion/ funding 8. driver Health and wellness (tie)
10. driver distraction 10. drug and alcohol Testing

by rebecca M. brewster industry stakeholders are also asked to and Driver Retention. Given that
Guest Writer rank potential strategies for address- Arkansas is home to five of the nation’s
ing each. The annual survey results are largest for-hire motor carriers and two
Trucking is big business in Arkansas. released every October, and the 2015 of the largest private fleets, this should
The industry employs over 82,000 indi- results show some disparities in ranking not come as a surprise. Filling seats
viduals in the state, meaning one out the issues between the national results with qualified, safe drivers is a top pri-
of every 12 employees statewide has a and those generating from Arkansas- ority for motor carriers large and small,
trucking-related job. And, trucks trans- based motor carriers. and, once those driver positions are
port more than 80 percent of manufac- First, there are similarities between filled, keeping those drivers is critical.
tured freight moved in the state. the rankings. Arkansas motor carriers The American Trucking Associations
It’s clear the trucking industry mat- agree with their peers across the coun- estimates that the industry currently
ters to Arkansas. So, with an industry try that the top five issues confront- has a shortage of 48,000 drivers, with
that important, what are the issues of ing the industry are regulatory- (HOS, projections that the number will
most concern to motor carriers in the CSA), workforce- (Driver Shortage and increase to 175,000 by 2024.
state? The annual Top Industry Issues Driver Retention) and infrastructure- The top strategy for dealing with
Survey provides some insight. (Truck Parking) related. But the rank- the driver shortage as ranked by respon-
Since 2005, the American ings of those top five issues highlight dents (Arkansas and nationally) is to
Transportation Research Institute some differences. work with state and federal authorities
(ATRI) has been surveying motor carri- to consider a graduated CDL program
ers and commercial drivers nationwide workForce woes to safely attract new and younger driv-
to identify those issues which have the Arkansas motor carriers place a ers. The $305 billion FAST Act, signed
greatest impact on the industry. And, higher ranking, or level of concern, on
for each issue identified in the survey, the workforce issues of Driver Shortage 

arkansas trucking rePort | issue 1 2016 23