MENU
SEARCHThe American Transportation Research Institute is asking motor carriers to participate in research on rising insurance costs and strategies for managing risk.
ATRI is asking motor carriers to submit data on their insurance coverage and information on their use of safety technology and alternative insurance arrangements.
HDT Graphic
The American Transportation Research Institute is asking motor carriers to participate in research on rising insurance costs and strategies for managing risk.
Trucking auto liability premiums rose by 36% per mile in the past eight years amid persistent unprofitability for insurers, even as truck crashes declined over the past four years, according to ATRI.
In 2025, insurance cost/availability and lawsuit abuse, a primary contributor to rising insurance costs, were voted as the third- and second-greatest issues facing the trucking industry, respectively.
In response to this financial pressure, fleets are reevaluating their total cost of risk by pursuing a variety of new technologies, training protocols, and insurance schemes, such as self-insurance or captives.
Prior ATRI research detailed how fleets reduced coverage and raised deductibles from 2018 to 2020 in search of savings, self-incentivizing safety improvements but still experiencing higher premiums. Expanding on this research is a top priority for the research arm of the American Trucking Associations.
Motor carriers are requested to submit data on their coverage stacks for the years 2021 through 2024, in addition to information on their use of safety technology and alternative insurance arrangements.
All data is kept completely confidential for analysis in aggregate form only, and ATRI will sign non-disclosure agreements as desired.
“The total cost of risk is growing annually for every fleet, regardless of size,” said Josh Hankins, J.B. Hunt senior VP of Safety & Security, in a news release.
“While many carriers are cutting back on insurance coverage to control expenses, premiums keep climbing — and reducing coverage only heightens exposure to catastrophic litigation. Today, trucking faces a perfect insurance storm.”
All participating carriers will receive a customized report that compares their fleet’s cost of risk to an anonymized peer group. Motor carriers can complete the survey at https://www.research.net/r/MC-Insurance-Survey
The deadline is Friday, December 19.
ATRI’s latest research points to litigation, social inflation, and soaring claims costs as key drivers behind record-high liability premiums for trucking fleets. But there are things motor carriers can do.
Read More →
The FMCSA continues its efforts to fight electronic logging devices that don't meet federal requirements, removing more than a dozen from the registered ELD list in May.
Read More →
The Supreme Court’s May 11 broker-liability ruling may not radically rewrite transportation law overnight. But industry experts say it will intensify pressure on brokers, carriers, and shippers to prove they are prioritizing safety.
Read More →
Some Fontaine Fusion flatbed trailer manufactured between February 2025, and March 2026 could have mainbeams weakened by hydrogen embrittlement because of a problem in the galvanizing process.
Read More →
Heavy Duty Trucking has extended the deadline for nominations for its Truck Fleet Innovators awards. The deadline has been extended to May 22.
Read More →
The unanimous SCOTUS ruling in the closely watched Montgomery v. Caribe case allows state negligence claims against freight brokers that hire unsafe motor carriers, raising new liability and vetting concerns among brokers.
Read More →
Can technology help prevent truck crashes? In this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes episode, K&B Transportation explains how it’s using cameras, speed management tools, cellphone-blocking technology, and other systems to improve safety and reduce risk across its fleet.
Read More →
Fleet safety is evolving fast—and technology is at the center of it. Learn how a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology.
Read More →
FMCSA's long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls. And there are steps you need to take by May 14.
Read More →
Winter roadway “pileups” aren’t one crash — they’re a chain reaction. Here’s what triggers them, how truck drivers can spot the danger early, and what to do if you're suddenly trapped in the mess.
Read More →
