Trucking Industry Facing Hard Times
More than 2000 trucking industry executives studied the main
issues that United States truckers face. The American
Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) announced these issues
in the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and
Exhibition held October 16 in Boston.
Among the issues that made the list were trucking security,
environmental protection, insurance costs and the lack of
drivers; but the leading concerns were the high cost of diesel
and highway congestion.
According to Jim Stanley, chairman of the ATRI, the results of
their studies also proposed strategies that will help the
American Trucking Associations (ATA) focus in taking a larger
role in defense of the U.S. trucking industry.
Every issue has a certain level of complexity that tends to
change constantly. The ATRI information is invaluable because it
can determine which problem matters the most to motor carriers
and the solutions that the ATA should seek.
The rise in oil prices caused a record increase in the price of
diesel. With the outcome of hurricanes Katrina and Rita prices
exceeded $3 a gallon.
Highway congestion comes from the misuse of federal highway
funds which disables the states abilities to build new highways.
Bill Graves, president of the American Trucking Associations
said that: Since 1980, highway traffic has doubled, but highway
capacity has increased only 3 percent. Todays highways are
choked with traffic. Todays economy demands more trucks to haul
more freight.
Analysts predicted that in 2016 the trucking industry will
transport 13 billion tons of freight, 3 billion more than in
2004 when truckers hauled 10 billion tons.
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