The American Transportation Research Institute issued a call for motor carriers and drivers to participate in a survey on the impact of predatory towing in the trucking industry. 

Recognizing persistent negative impact of predatory towing practices on the industry, ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee identified the need to better understand this problem as a top research priority earlier this year. 

The survey asks fleets to share which types of predatory towing they deal with most frequently, what fees or delays they consider predatory, and in which states they have encountered predatory tows.

It also seeks participants for a second round of more detailed data collection that will allow ATRI to quantify the frequency and operational impact of each type of predatory event.

All data collected will be kept completely confidential, according to an ATRI press release.

“We all know that predatory towing is an issue, yet until now there has been no robust analysis on how, when, and where it happens or the impact of legislation designed to regulate these predatory practices,” said Cargo Transporters Vice President of Safety Shawn Brown. “By participating in ATRI’s data-driven research, carriers will be helping to answer these questions and outline solutions.”