The top trucking industry concerns of 2021, and what came of the fixes
In 2021, the industry's three biggest worries were all about drivers: finding them, keeping them, and paying them. The fixes it voted for that year make a useful scorecard five years later.
Written by Gabriel Gonzalez
The 2021 list in numbers
The top trucking industry concerns of 2021, ranked by more than 2,500 people in ATRI's annual survey, were the driver shortage, driver retention, driver compensation, lawsuit abuse reform, and truck parking. The driver shortage led for a fifth straight year. CSA, detention, infrastructure, insurance, and the diesel technician shortage completed the top 10.
Every fall, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) asks the trucking industry what worries it most. In 2021, with freight demand back and the pandemic still shaping who was willing to drive, the answer was a workforce story.
I have spent more than 22 years at Simplex, nearly 16 of them as COO, and what I find most useful in an old list is the fixes people voted for. This recap covers the 2021 top five, who ranked what, and what happened to each preferred fix by October 2026.
The full briefing, read aloud
7 chapters. Select one to jump to it.
Generated with AI text-to-speech from this article's key insights, in order, rather than reading it word for word. Chapter times come from a transcript of the audio. The article itself was written and reviewed by Gabriel Gonzalez.
Key takeaways
Drivers filled the top three
The driver shortage led for a fifth year with more than four times the first-place votes of any other issue. Driver retention rose four spots to second, and driver compensation ranked third.
Lawsuit abuse reform climbed to fourth
Called tort reform in earlier surveys, it rose three spots on concern over nuclear verdicts. Truck parking, a top 10 issue for the 10th year, rounded out the top five.
Owner-operators saw fuel coming
Fuel prices ranked only 12th overall in 2021, but owner-operators already ranked it first. A year later, fuel was the industry's No. 1 concern.
The top driver-shortage fix came and went
The favorite fix, a pilot for 18- to 20-year-old interstate drivers, became FMCSA's Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot, which concluded November 7, 2025. Interstate drivers must still be at least 21.
Lawsuit abuse is now No. 2
ATRI's 2026 list ranks lawsuit abuse reform second for a second year, and motor carriers rank it first. The other four 2021 concerns sit between fifth and 11th.
In this articleContents
What were the top trucking industry concerns of 2021?
The top trucking industry concerns of 2021 come from ATRI's 17th annual Top Industry Issues report, released October 24, 2021, at the American Trucking Associations' management conference. The survey ran from September 8 to October 15, 2021.
More than 2,500 people answered: 52.4% motor carrier personnel, 24.1% commercial drivers, and 23.5% other stakeholders such as suppliers, trainers, and law enforcement. Each picked and ranked three issues from a list of 30.
| Rank | Issue | ICI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Driver shortage | 100 |
| 2 | Driver retention | 39.3 |
| 3 | Driver compensation | 31.0 |
| 4 | Lawsuit abuse reform | 26.1 |
| 5 | Truck parking | 25.6 |
| 6 | CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) | 21.9 |
| 7 | Detention and delay at customer facilities | 19.8 |
| 8 | Transportation infrastructure, congestion, and funding | 19.0 |
| 9 | Insurance cost and availability | 18.5 |
| 10 | Diesel technician shortage | 18.5 |
A first-place vote earned three points, second place two, and third place one. The gap at the top is the story: no other issue scored even 40% of the driver shortage's level of concern. The diesel technician shortage made the top 10 for the first time.
Driver distraction just missed, at 11th; part 2 of this series covers it. For the following year's ranking, see our recap of the trucking industry concerns of 2022.
Why did driver issues take the top three spots in 2021?
Because freight demand came back faster than drivers did. ATRI's report pointed to drivers who left over COVID health concerns, training and licensing backlogs from pandemic closures, an aging workforce, and drivers who had not started the return-to-duty process after a positive drug test.
Driver shortage (No. 1)
ATRI cited the American Trucking Associations' estimate of a shortage of more than 60,000 drivers that could pass 160,000 by 2028, and Census data showing 27.4% of drivers were over 55. The top fix, chosen by 45.0% of respondents, was a fast start for a pilot letting 18- to 20-year-olds drive interstate. Outreach to high school students and young adults followed at 40.5%.
Driver retention (No. 2)
Retention rose four spots from 2020. ATRI cited ATA's finding that turnover at large truckload fleets was 92% at the end of 2020. A majority, 53.8%, wanted research on which retention strategies work, based on driver feedback and tenure; 30.3% wanted to measure what benefits do for retention.
Driver compensation (No. 3)
Pay was a top 10 issue for a third straight year. One in three drivers ranked it among their top three concerns, and 15% of carriers did too, worried about how long they could keep raising pay. The top fix, at 42.3%, was to compare trucking pay with competing sectors such as construction, which can offer similar pay and nights at home.
Why did lawsuit abuse reform and truck parking make the top five?
Lawsuit abuse reform rose on the size of crash verdicts; truck parking stayed because it never got fixed.
Lawsuit abuse reform (No. 4)
Called tort reform in earlier surveys, it climbed three spots. ATRI cited its own 2020 study of nuclear verdicts, which found the average verdict size in truck crash cases grew 967% from 2010 to 2018. The preferred fixes were ending "phantom" medical damages, meaning billed amounts far above what was actually paid (45.1%), letting carriers move more crash cases to federal court (31.1%), and cracking down on staged accidents (22.9%).
Truck parking (No. 5)
It was parking's 10th year in the top 10, and in 2020, when several states closed rest areas, it had been drivers' No. 1 concern. A provision for nearly $1 billion in truck parking grants was cut from the House highway bill in 2021. More than 38% of respondents wanted a dedicated federal funding program anyway.
How did drivers, carriers, and owner-operators rank 2021's issues?
Very differently. Carriers worried about filling seats; drivers worried about pay and a place to park. For the first time, drivers' top concern was a tie.
| Group | Top three concerns |
|---|---|
| Commercial drivers | Driver compensation and truck parking (tied), detention and delay |
| Motor carriers | Driver shortage, driver retention, lawsuit abuse reform |
| Company drivers | Driver compensation, truck parking, driver training standards |
| Owner-operators | Fuel prices, truck parking, driver compensation |
The owner-operator column was the early warning. Fuel ranked 12th overall and the economy 13th, yet owner-operators already put fuel first. In ATRI's 2022 survey, fuel took first place overall and the economy returned to the top five.
What happened to the fixes the industry voted for in 2021?
As of October 2026, one was tried and ended, one advanced in several states, and the problems behind all five are still on ATRI's list.
| 2021 concern | Top fix voted in 2021 | Where it stood in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver shortage | Pilot for interstate drivers aged 18 to 20 | Pilot ran and concluded November 7, 2025; concern ranks 5th |
| Driver retention | Research what keeps drivers, from their feedback | Pay and dwell time tied to turnover; ranks 10th |
| Driver compensation | Compare pay with competing sectors | Wages still rising; ranks 9th, but top three for drivers |
| Lawsuit abuse reform | End phantom medical damages | Florida and Georgia passed limits; ranks 2nd |
| Truck parking | Dedicated federal funding | More U.S. DOT funding; 11th, first time outside top 10 since 2012 |
The under-21 pilot
Congress required the pilot in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and FMCSA ran it as the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot for 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds with intrastate CDLs. It concluded November 7, 2025. Interstate drivers must still be at least 21 under 49 CFR 391.11(b)(1). In 2026, the second-ranked shortage fix was hiring 18-year-olds into non-driving jobs until they turn 21.
Retention and pay
ATRI's 2026 report puts numbers on the 2021 question. In its cost research, each additional $5,000 in average annual pay was associated with a turnover rate 2.9 percentage points lower, and each extra 30 minutes of average dwell time per stop with a rate 5.4 points higher. Our driver retention strategies guide turns that into a small-fleet playbook.
Lawsuit reform, state by state
Change came through state law. Florida's 2023 reform limits evidence of past medical bills that were paid to the amount actually paid, and ATRI counts Georgia among the states that also curbed phantom damages. Texas went another way in 2021: a trucking defendant can ask for a split trial that settles fault and compensatory damages before punitive damages; our guide to 18-wheeler insurance in Texas covers it.
The federal fixes are still pending. ATRI's 2026 report lists the FAIR Trucking Act, introduced in 2025 to move certain truck crash cases to federal court, and a bill that would make staging a crash with a truck a federal crime with up to 20 years in prison.
What should a small carrier take from the 2021 list?
That the driver problems on this list are cost problems, and they come back when freight does. ATRI's 2026 report says the shortage fell out of the top 10 in 2025 only because the freight recession cut demand for drivers. Four habits help:
- Know what turnover costs you. Count every driver who leaves and what it takes to replace them, then compare that with a raise or less unpaid waiting time.
- Hire carefully. Retention starts at the hire: check each driver's history and qualifications before the first load. Our guide to hiring truck drivers safely covers the checks.
- Keep records that hold up after a crash. In a lawsuit, your driver qualification files, logs, and maintenance records show what you knew and did.
- Listen to your owner-operators. They ranked fuel first a year before everyone else did. Their costs move first.
How Simplex helps with the costs on this list
Driver files, insurance, and compliance sit behind most of the 2021 top five. We help with all three.
Driver files that hold up
We build and maintain driver qualification files, so every driver you hire is documented from day one.
Coverage quoted by a broker
Lawsuit costs flow into premiums. As a broker, we quote and place commercial truck insurance, from auto liability to cargo.
Compliance you can show
Our compliance programs include CSA monitoring, driver qualification files, and mock audits.
Frequently asked questions
What were the top 5 trucking industry concerns of 2021?+
Who publishes the top trucking industry issues list?+
What replaced the driver shortage as the top concern?+
Can 18- to 20-year-olds drive trucks interstate?+
What is lawsuit abuse reform in trucking?+
Where this information comes from
The rankings, survey details, and rule references below come from ATRI's annual reports, FMCSA, the eCFR, and state legislatures, checked on October 20, 2026.
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1
ATRI: Trucking Workforce Issues Top the List of Industry Concerns (2021)
The 2021 top five, the release date, respondent count, and the driver top concerns.
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2
ATRI: Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry 2021
The full 2021 report: method, top 10 and ICI scores, strategies, and rankings by respondent group.
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3
ATRI: Fuel Costs Top the List of Trucking Industry Issues (2022)
Fuel prices replacing the driver shortage at No. 1 in 2022, the economy at fifth, and the respondent mix.
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4
ATRI: Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry 2026
The 2026 ranks, lawsuit reform status, the turnover findings, and truck parking at 11th.
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5
FMCSA: Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program
The under-21 interstate pilot required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and its November 7, 2025 conclusion.
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6
eCFR: 49 CFR 391.11, General qualifications of drivers
The minimum age of 21 for drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.
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7
Texas Legislature: H.B. 19 (87th Legislature), enrolled text
The 2021 Texas law allowing split trials in commercial motor vehicle crash cases.
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8
Florida Statutes: Section 768.0427
Florida's 2023 limit on evidence of paid medical expenses to the amount actually paid.
Written by
Gabriel Gonzalez
Chief Revenue Officer, Simplex Group
Chief Revenue Officer at Simplex Group, with more than 22 years at the company, including nearly 16 years as Chief Operating Officer. His background combines revenue strategy with deep operational experience, giving him a strong perspective on how compliance, risk, permits, cash flow, and operational readiness affect a carrier's ability to grow profitably.
Published · Updated
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If you want help with driver files, insurance, or the compliance behind them, talk to our team.