The top trucking industry concerns of 2022, and where they stand now
In 2022, record diesel prices pushed the driver shortage out of first place on the industry's own list of worries. Four years later, fuel is back on top, and most of the rest of that list has moved.
Written by Gabriel Gonzalez
The 2022 list in numbers
The top trucking industry concerns of 2022, ranked by more than 4,200 people in ATRI's annual survey, were fuel prices, the driver shortage, truck parking, driver compensation, and the economy. Fuel took first place from the driver shortage, which had led for five years. Detention, driver retention, CSA, speed limiters, and lawsuit abuse reform completed the top 10.
Every October, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) asks the industry what worries it most. The 2022 answer was a cost story: diesel, wages, and inflation all hit at once, and the list shows how differently drivers, carriers, and owner-operators felt it.
I have spent more than 22 years at Simplex, nearly 16 of them as COO, and I read this list for what it says about margins. This recap covers the 2022 top five, why each made the list, and where each one ranks in ATRI's 2026 survey, released October 18, 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
Fuel prices led the 2022 list
Fuel replaced the driver shortage as the No. 1 concern, its first top 10 appearance since 2013, after the U.S. weekly diesel average hit a record $5.81 a gallon in June 2022.
Three of the top five were about drivers
The driver shortage ranked second, truck parking third, and driver compensation fourth. The economy, absent from the 2021 top 10, returned at fifth.
Drivers and carriers ranked them differently
Drivers put truck parking first. Motor carriers put the driver shortage and driver retention first and second. Owner-operators ranked fuel first for a second straight year.
Fuel is No. 1 again in 2026
ATRI's 2026 list, released October 18, 2026, puts fuel prices back on top after diesel passed $6.50 a gallon in September.
The rest of the 2022 top five slipped
In 2026 the driver shortage ranks fifth, the economy sixth, driver compensation ninth, and truck parking 11th, its first year outside the top 10 since 2012.
In this articleContents
What were the top 10 trucking industry concerns of 2022?
The top 10 trucking industry concerns of 2022 come from ATRI's 18th annual Top Industry Issues report, released October 22, 2022, at the American Trucking Associations' management conference. The survey ran from September 6 to October 7, 2022.
More than 4,200 people answered, the most in the survey's history at the time: 47.2% professional truck drivers, 38.8% motor carrier executives and staff, and 14% other stakeholders such as suppliers, trainers, and law enforcement. Each picked and ranked three issues from a list of 28.
| Rank | Issue | ICI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuel prices | 100 |
| 2 | Driver shortage | 85.0 |
| 3 | Truck parking | 81.4 |
| 4 | Driver compensation | 71.0 |
| 5 | Economy | 62.9 |
| 6 | Detention and delay at customer facilities | 53.8 |
| 7 | Driver retention | 48.6 |
| 8 | CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) | 45.8 |
| 9 | Speed limiters | 39.3 |
| 10 | Lawsuit abuse reform | 35.4 |
A first-place vote earned three points, second place two, and third place one. An ICI of 50 means half the level of concern of the top issue. This post covers the top five; our recap of concerns six through 10 covers detention, retention, CSA, speed limiters, and lawsuit reform, and our post on emerging trucking issues covers the three just outside the list.
Why did fuel prices top the 2022 list?
Because diesel set a record. The U.S. average retail price of on-highway diesel reached $5.810 a gallon in the week of June 20, 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It had started the year near $3.61.
Fuel had last made the top 10 in 2013, at eighth. In 2022 it replaced the driver shortage, which had been the No. 1 concern for five years in a row. ATRI's report cited its own cost research: fuel cost per mile rose more than 35% year over year.
Owner-operators felt it most. They ranked fuel first for the second year running, and ATRI noted that many run in the spot market, where there is less room to negotiate fuel surcharges that keep up with price swings.
Asked for solutions, 54.7% of respondents chose federal action to stabilize fuel supply and limit price volatility. Only 6.8% chose incentives for alternative and renewable fuels.
Why did driver issues fill three of the top five?
Because the industry was competing hard for drivers in a tight labor market, and the driver's daily life, from parking to pay, became part of that competition.
Driver shortage (No. 2)
ATRI cited the American Trucking Associations' estimate of a shortage of more than 80,000 drivers that could pass 160,000 by 2030, and Census data showing 30.3% of drivers were over 55. The top strategy, chosen by 39.1% of respondents, was outreach to high school students and young adults. A new federal pilot let up to 3,000 drivers aged 18 to 20 run interstate, though ATRI found insurance costs were a barrier for half of small fleets.
Truck parking (No. 3)
Parking was the top concern of truck drivers for the third year in a row. ATRI's report cited a 2019 federal count of about 313,000 truck parking spaces nationwide, which ATA and OOIDA equated to one space for every 11 drivers, and nearly $40 million in U.S. DOT grants to Florida and Tennessee to add capacity.
Driver compensation (No. 4)
Compensation had stayed in the top five every year since its 2019 debut at third. ATRI's 2022 cost research found driver wages up 9.8% in a year, to a record $0.809 per mile. Pay also shapes driver retention, which ranked seventh.
Why did the economy return, and who ranked what?
The economy, absent from the 2021 top 10, came back at fifth, where it last ranked in 2016. ATRI pointed to inflation, which had peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, equipment and parts shortages, record diesel, and wage pressure. A majority of respondents, 58%, said the best response was to cut regulations that add cost without benefit.
The overall list blends very different points of view. ATRI also ranked the issues by group:
| Group | Top three concerns |
|---|---|
| Truck drivers | Truck parking, fuel prices, driver compensation |
| Motor carriers | Driver shortage, driver retention, fuel prices |
| Company drivers | Driver compensation, truck parking, detention and delay |
| Owner-operators | Fuel prices, truck parking, driver compensation |
The split is the useful part. A carrier's worry was keeping seats filled, while the person in the seat worried about where to park and what the job paid. For an owner-operator, who is both, fuel came first.
Where do the 2022 trucking concerns rank in 2026?
Fuel is first again; the other four have slipped. ATRI's 2026 report, released October 18, 2026, puts fuel prices on top for the fourth time in the survey's 22 years, after 2005, 2008, and 2022.
| 2022 concern | 2022 rank | 2026 rank |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel prices | 1 | 1 |
| Driver shortage | 2 | 5 |
| Truck parking | 3 | 11 |
| Driver compensation | 4 | 9 |
| Economy | 5 | 6 |
This time diesel went higher. The EIA weekly average reached $6.529 a gallon in the week of September 21, 2026, above the 2022 record, and stood at $6.179 on October 12, 2026, against $3.665 a year earlier.
In between, the economy led the list three years running, from 2023 to 2025; our 2023 concerns recap covers the first of those. The driver shortage fell out of the top 10 in 2025 as carriers cut drivers in the freight recession, and returned at fifth in 2026.
Truck parking is 11th, its first year outside the top 10 since 2012, though drivers still rank it second. Three issues near the bottom of the 2022 list now sit near the top: lawsuit abuse reform (10th to second), CSA (eighth to third), and insurance cost and availability (11th to fourth).
What did 2022 teach small carriers about fuel?
That fuel risk lands on whoever can't pass it on. In 2022 that was mostly owner-operators in the spot market, and ATRI's 2026 report again names small and mid-size fleets as the hardest hit. Four habits help:
- Price every load at today's diesel. Know your cost per mile with current fuel, and update it weekly when prices move this fast.
- Get the fuel surcharge in writing. On spot loads, confirm whether the rate includes fuel before you accept; our guide to freight rate negotiation covers the rate confirmation.
- Control the purchase. Fuel cards let you set limits and capture every gallon for reporting.
- Protect the gap between fuel and payment. You pay at the pump today and get paid weeks later. Freight factoring can shorten that wait.
How Simplex helps carriers handle the costs on this list
Fuel, insurance, and CSA top the 2026 list. We help with the cash flow, coverage, and compliance behind all three.
Cash flow when fuel spikes
Our trucking factoring service turns delivered loads into working capital, so a jump at the pump doesn't have to wait on a slow-paying invoice.
Coverage quoted by a broker
Insurance cost now ranks fourth. As a broker, we quote and place commercial truck insurance, from liability to cargo and physical damage.
CSA scores you can see coming
CSA ranks third in 2026. Our compliance programs include CSA monitoring, driver qualification files, and mock audits.
Frequently asked questions
What were the top 5 trucking industry concerns of 2022?+
What were concerns 6 to 10 on the 2022 list?+
Who publishes the top trucking industry issues list?+
What is the top trucking industry concern in 2026?+
Where this information comes from
The rankings, survey details, and figures below come from ATRI's annual reports and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, checked on October 19, 2026.
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1
ATRI — Fuel Costs Top the List of Trucking Industry Issues (2022)
The 2022 top five, the release date, respondent counts, and the driver and carrier top three.
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2
ATRI — Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry 2022
The full 2022 report: methodology, top 10 and ICI scores, strategies, and rankings by respondent group.
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3
ATRI — Fuel Prices Emerge as the Trucking Industry's Top Concern (2026)
The 2026 ranking, released October 18, 2026, and diesel topping $6.50 a gallon.
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4
ATRI — Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry 2026
The full 2026 report: 2026 ranks, truck parking at 11th, respondent mix, and fuel's history at No. 1.
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5
U.S. EIA — Weekly U.S. No. 2 Diesel Retail Prices
The June 20, 2022 record of $5.810 and the September 21, 2026 high of $6.529.
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6
U.S. EIA — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
The October 12, 2026 U.S. diesel average and the year-ago comparison.
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.
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The concerns that come back are the ones to plan for
Fuel led in 2022, faded, and led again in 2026. The carriers that handle it best price it into every load and keep enough cash to ride out the gap between the pump and the paycheck.
If you want help with cash flow, insurance, or the compliance that now ranks near the top of the list, talk to our team.