MENU
SEARCHRising equipment costs and driver wages led to an increase in operational costs in 2014, according to a comprehensive report from the American Transportation Research Institute.
Rising equipment costs and driver wages led to an increase in operational costs in 2014, according to a comprehensive report from the American Transportation Research Institute.
ATRI’s report, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking, found that the average marginal cost per mile in 2014 was $1.70 compared with $1.68 in 2013. This comes despite decreasing fuel costs in the same period of time.
Increases in truck and trailer lease and purchase payments were at the root of the cost per mile increase, especially in the specialized sector. This was largely due to increases in freight demand that required many carriers to repair or replace older equipment.
The driver shortage also played a significant role by putting upward pressure on costs as carriers spent more money on recruiting and retaining drivers.
From 2013 to 2014, fuel dropped from 38% to 34% of the share of a carrier’s average total cost, the lowest it had been since 2010. However the share of costs from equipment rose from 10% to 13%. There was a slight increase in the cost share of driver wages from 26% to 27%.
Specialized carriers had the highest cost per mile in 2014 at $1.85 due to an increase in specialized truck and trailer lease costs as well as an increase in insurance costs.
Specialized carriers also reported the highest average driver wages at 51.6 cents per mile. Less-than-truckload carriers usually have the highest costs per mile and in 2014, those were slightly lower at $1.83. Truckload carriers had the lowest cost per mile at $1.58.
The annully updated ATRI cost analysis examines financial data provided by carriers to document and analyze trucking costs from 2008 through 2014.
The full report with a more complete breakdown of the numbers is available via the ATRI website.
How a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology.
Read More →
When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.
Read More →
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.
Read More →
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.
Read More →
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.
Read More →
More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.
Read More →
The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.
Read More →
