The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry's not-for-profit research institute, has unveiled its list of the Top 10 critical issues facing U.S. truckers.
Commercial driver hours of service rules and the driver shortage

top the list in ATRI's survey of more than 5,000 trucking industry executives. The complete results were released in Orlando, Fla., at the 2007 Management Conference and Exhibition of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the nation's largest gathering of motor carrier executives. ATRI also solicited and tabulated strategies for addressing each issue.
Aside from hours of service and the driver shortage, other Top 10 issues include fuel issues, congestion, government regulation, tolls and highway funding, tort reform and truck driver training, among others.
The ATA-commissioned survey results and proposed strategies will be utilized by the ATA to better focus its advocacy role on behalf of the U.S. trucking industry and ATA Federation stakeholders.
"I have long advocated for the industry to better prepare itself to deal with change," said ATA Chairman Ray Kuntz (Watkins Shepard Trucking Co., Helena, Mont.) "And one way to do so is to better anticipate the challenges ahead. The ATRI survey results are invaluable in telling us what is important to motor carriers and which strategies ATA should pursue on their behalf."
"On every legislative and regulatory topic, issues come and go so quickly today," said Bill Graves, ATA president and CEO. "If we're not at the table with sound, science-based information and a common sense plan of action, then we're going to get left behind, and saddled with solutions that have no bearing on moving America's freight safely and efficiently."
ATRI is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system. A copy of the survey results is available from ATRI at www. atri-online.org .