Each year the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) releases the "Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry" study ranking the top ten issues industry members identify in a survey. PMTA distributes this survey to members. If a state turns in over 40 responses, ATRI will put together a top ten list for that individual state along with solutions to address those issues.

This is Pennsylvania's Top Ten List for 2023: 

1. Truck Parking

• Advocate for a dedicated federal funding program to increase truck parking capacity at freight-critical locations.
• Encourage local and regional governments to reduce the regulatory burdens limiting the construction and expansion of truck parking facilities.
• Research the relationship between truck parking availability and highway safety.

2. Economy

• Identify and promote reforming / repealing ineffective and burdensome regulations that increase industry costs without providing benefits.
• Quantify the impact of increasing trucking operational costs on the supply chain and nation’s economy.
• Advocate for reshoring and near-shoring of equipment and parts manufacturing to reduce the reliance on international supply chains.

3. Driver Shortage

• Advocate for expanding interstate CDL eligibility to 18-20-year-old drivers.
• Research the primary factors behind drivers leaving trucking careers.
• Support an industry-funded outreach program to improve the trucking industry’s image.

4. Driver Retention

• Research and promote the retention strategies of carriers that continuously experience low driver turnover.
• Conduct market research on truck driver experiences and perspectives mapped to truck driver tenure data.
• Evaluate the impact of truck driver benefits, including health insurance and retirement benefits, on driver retention.

5. CSA

• Work with FMCSA to update its carrier prioritization methodology, improve its accuracy, and enhance transparency in CSA.
• Advocate for FMCSA to speed up the DataQ process by improving internal processes for reviewing Request for Data Reviews (RDRs).

6. Driver Distraction

• Advocate for national standards for distracted driving laws for all motorists.
• Encourage harsher penalties and more aggressive enforcement of distracted driving laws for all road users.
• Quantify the role of car driver distraction in car-truck crashes.

7. Lawsuit Abuse Reform

• Promote state-level reform to cap damages paid to plaintiffs in truck-involved crashes.
• Quantify the impact of third-party litigation funding on trial outcomes.

8. Equipment / Parts Shortages

• Analyze recent data on equipment costs, availability, and economic conditions to improve industry response to future shortages.
• Investigate the challenges and requirements of near-shoring and other truck parts sourcing practices.

9. Driver Training Standards

• Work with driver training schools to develop and/or update “best practices” and model curricula.
• Research the impact of Entry-Level Driver Training regulations on highway safety.

10. Zero-Emission Vehicles

• Quantify the charging infrastructure requirements and subsequent supply chain cost increases of zero-emission truck mandates.
• Assess the potential of a Federal Excise Tax (FET) repeal for encouraging fleet investment in newer, more energy-efficient equipment.
• Research the impacts of battery-electric vehicles on transportation infrastructure, crash response and first responder safety.