The American Transportation Research Institute has released the 2025 ATRI Top Industry Issues report, and we’re looking at the findings — the top 10 issues according to carriers and drivers. We know that in both easy times and tough times, there will always be things to improve in the industry. The reality is that a report like this lands differently during the tough times. This is a list of pressing problems, and we’re keenly aware that many issues boil down to business fundamentals — keeping costs in check, improving revenue, and retaining talent — all just to stay afloat.
With this freight recession being in its third year, whereas past recessions have turned around after 1.5-2 years, the issues are truly about businesses surviving. We’ve seen the industry’s list of bankruptcies and closed doors continue to lengthen, and many more are being squeezed like never before by rising costs and low rates, making for slim margins.
It’s through this lens that we look at the top 10 issues in ATRI’s report and share a 90-day plan for adapting and getting your business into a healthier position to come out successful on the other side.
10 Issues Carriers and Drivers Want Solved
1. The Economy
The top-ranked issue shouldn’t come as a surprise. Non-fuel costs have hit a record $1.779 per mile. Profit margins for the truckload sector of the industry dip below zero. Even with the frequency of bankruptcies, freight rates haven’t improved. Carriers and drivers are weathering a storm, and it’s not clear when the economy will begin to look up.
2. Lawsuit Abuse Reform
Multimillion-dollar verdicts and third-party litigation funding are driving up risk costs. When margins are thin, one severe claim can end a business. And keep in mind, this is at a time when cargo theft is its own multi-billion-dollar problem.
3. Insurance Cost and Availability
Premiums have risen 36% over eight years. Many fleets are easily seeing double-digit renewals. Though there are many factors driving this insurance problem, the rise in excessive litigation mentioned above has directly impacted insurance losses.
4. Truck Parking
Some states have expanded truck parking capacity, but it hasn’t been enough. This scarcity drives up expenses for carriers in the form of out-of-route miles.
5. Driver Compensation
Drivers want competitive and predictable pay, yet driver wages have not kept up with inflation. Many fleets can’t raise pay meaningfully without hurting margins, and this leads to higher turnover that hurts margins further.
6. CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
There have been concerns surrounding CSA accuracy and transparency, but the FMCSA has said it will soon implement CSA changes to improve methodology, including weighing the most recent violations most heavily.
7. English Language Proficiency for Drivers
English proficiency requirements are now enforced more strictly. Drivers who don’t demonstrate passing proficiency are placed out of service, putting a dent in carrier productivity.
8. Diesel Emissions Regulations
The cost of new trucks (2027 and newer) is about to go up thanks to the heavy-duty NOx rule. Carriers and owner-operators will need to start thinking more strategically about the financing and timing of purchasing new trucks.
9. Driver Training Standards
The goal is to improve driver safety, retention, and insurance exposure. This could involve the creation of new standards and best practices and carriers working with driver training schools to help close gaps in training.
10. AI in Trucking
Making the list for the first time, AI is stirring concerns that it could lead to fewer jobs in the industry and, when data security is handled irresponsibly, increase fraud and theft.
What It Means for Brokers, Carriers, and Shippers
While this list articulates the issues that businesses are all feeling, what it’s not is a list we need to be holding our breath that it might get fixed. Change will come about in some form or another but likely very slowly. In the meantime, brokers, carriers, and shippers need to look outside this list to find the levers to pull to survive the trials of this list.
Non-fuel cost per mile (CPM) is the boss now.
It’s the tough reality businesses need to accept if they want to get a handle on the diciness they’ve been going through. They need to focus on lowering their CPM by improving the efficiency of each mile. That includes: increasing paid-mile percentage, improving equipment utilization, optimizing dwell and detention time, being intentional about preventive maintenance instead of reactive repairs, lowering insurance risk, and digitizing processes like paperwork and invoicing to save time and reduce errors.
Here are some KPIs that are important for keeping CPM in check:
- Loaded mile % (goal: +4-8 points in 90 days)
- Margin per load (pre-commit and post-settlement)
- Dwell >120 minutes per stop
- Doc-to-invoice hours (goal: same-day as POD)
- Preventable incidents per 100 vehicles; open safety items aging
- Claim cycle time and average paid (with complete evidentiary packet on file)
Your 30/60/90-Day Plan
If you looked at that list of KPIs and wondered how to get to a good position with each of those metrics, we’ve written a 90-day plan for you. This is what we recommend to fast-track your business’ success in the current industry climate.
Day 0: Establish the Baseline
Pull the last 90 days of data: margin per load, empty mile %, dwell > 120 minutes, doc-to-invoice cycle time, claims per 1,000 loads, preventables versus non-preventables, and open safety items.
Build three lists: lanes that are costing you, detention-heavy customers, and carriers/assets with high deadhead.
Days 1-30: Stop the Obvious Leaks
Turn on exception-driven workflows. Auto-flag loads missing a document, ETAs slipping >15 minutes and deadhead > target. Route these to owners with a due-by time.
Shorten cash cycles. Auto-generate invoices on POD capture; push factoring/quick pay via API to cut DSO.
Compliance sprint. Verify ELP/ELDT documentation per driver; fix DMV expiries and SAVE/visa audit gaps now, before audit season.
Days 31-60: Raise Your Paid-Mile Percentage
Implement load chaining by default. Every headhaul gets a planned backhaul inside your deadhead cap. Block dispatch if none is attached by a cutoff time.
Leverage dynamic pricing. Reflect rising insurance and accessorial exposure accurately in quotes by lane and customer.
Bid the right freight. Walk from lanes that don’t meet your new non-fuel CPM requirements.
Days 61-90: Establish the New Operating Model
Lean into scorecards. Tie dispatcher/CSR incentives to margin per load, dwell reduction, and first-pass invoice rate.
Set up a safety and litigation shield. This might include proactive coaching from telematics, documented ELDT refreshers, and a clean claims packet ready at pickup.
Level up your asset strategy. Build the tariff and emissions scenarios (extend/replace/lease). Time purchases around spikes; invest in maintenance that actually increases uptime.
How EKA Omni-TMS™ Helps You Execute Without Adding Head Count
EKA Omni-TMS is a powerful platform that helps businesses make the right decisions to improve margins, streamline workflows, and save valuable time at every step.
- Action-Ready Intelligence shows margin by load/lane/customer in real time, not just at month-end, so you fix red flags early and double down on winners.
- Automated Workflows convert documents to invoices automatically, identify exceptions, and keep AR moving while your team handles real problems.
- Risk & Compliance Guardrails catch ELP/ELDT/insurance gaps before the load moves and assemble a clean claims packet at the load level to reduce severity exposure.
- Dispatcher Assist & Load Chaining boosts your paid-mile percentage with recommended backhauls and blocks dispatch on deadhead above your threshold.
- Dynamic Load Rating factors in climbing non-fuel CPM, accessorial risk, and insurance changes, so your quotes are where they need to be.
- WAMS (Workflow Activity & Monitoring System) keeps workflows in check as they happen and flags any issues early.
The Bottom Line for Your Business
The problems are real and so are the levers. If you get ruthless about controllable costs, raise your paid-mile percentage, and tighten cash, the numbers won’t fail you and you’ll come out ahead. It’s those that don’t have real-time insights and tools for improving these numbers that will struggle.
Let’s make this freight recession better than merely bearable for your business. If you’re ready to start your 90-day plan with EKA at your side and see measurable wins, reach out and let’s get started.