At its mid-year meeting in Florida, the American Transportation Research Institute Board of Directors approved the 2023 top research priorities, as identified by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee.

The committee identified and prioritized the list of recommended research topics at its annual meeting held in Atlanta in March. The ATRI board, led by Chair Derek Leathers of Werner Enterprises, reviewed and approved the research topics last week.

ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee selected a diverse set of research priorities designed to address some of the industry’s most critical issues.

The 2023 ATRI top research priorities are:

Expanding Truck Parking at Public Rest Areas

The lack of available truck parking is perennially ranked by drivers as their top concern. This research will identify and map truck driver needs to rest stop attributes, develop best practice case studies, and utilize truck driver data to identify strategies for expanding truck parking capacity available at public rest areas.

Identifying Barriers to Entry for Female Truck Drivers

Female truck drivers represent less than 10% of the truck driver workforce, yet ATRI research documents that female drivers are safer than their male counterparts. This research will identify gender issues and proactive steps that the industry can take to make truck driving careers more appealing to women.

Complete Streets Impact on Freight Mobility

Complete Streets is a U.S. DOT program designed to make transportation accessible for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. However, planning decisions to deploy Complete Streets often negatively impact freight transportation and those who rely on truck-delivered goods. This study will quantify these impacts and recommend approaches for transportation planners to better facilitate freight movement.  

Examining the Diesel Technician Shortage

The industry’s challenges in recruiting and retaining technicians are often cited as being as critical as the driver shortage. This research will work with government and industry to identify the factors underlying the shortage, including mapping career attributes to workforce needs, and assessing high school-level vocational training availability, industry recruitment practices, and competing career opportunities.

The Cost of Driver Detention

Truck drivers and motor carriers consistently rank driver detention at customer facilities as a top industry concern. This research, supported by shipper groups, will include quantitative data collection to identify detention impacts, costs, and strategies for minimizing detention.