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Key Takeaways
- Economic pressure remains the industry’s biggest challenge, with a prolonged freight recession and record-high operating costs continuing to squeeze carriers of all sizes.
- Legal, insurance and regulatory issues — such as lawsuit abuse, rising premiums, CSA concerns and emissions regulations — are driving uncertainty and increasing the cost of doing business.
- Driver-focused challenges like compensation, parking shortages, training standards and language proficiency requirements highlight a growing gap between driver and carrier priorities heading into 2026.
The trucking industry has always operated in cycles, but the challenges facing carriers and drivers today are more complex — and more persistent — than in years past. As we head into 2026, fleets and owner-operators continue to navigate a prolonged freight recession, rising operating costs, legal and insurance pressures and evolving regulatory requirements.
According to the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI’s) 2025 Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry report, more than 4,200 drivers, motor carriers and industry stakeholders across North America identified the most pressing issues shaping day-to-day operations. Their findings highlight a growing divide between driver and carrier priorities, alongside mounting economic and compliance challenges.
Below, we break down the biggest trucking industry challenges heading into 2026 and explain what they mean for drivers, fleets and the industry as a whole.
What Are the Biggest Challenges Facing the Trucking Industry in 2026?
ATRI’s rankings reflect what drivers and fleets are experiencing every day. While some issues are familiar, others are newer and rising fast in importance.
1. Economic Pressures: Freight Recession and Rising Operating Costs
For the third year in a row, the economy ranked as the number one concern. Freight rates and volumes have stayed flat, while per-mile operating costs keep rising.
ATRI reports non-fuel operating costs reached $1.779 per mile in 2025, the highest level ever recorded in its cost studies.
These pressures have real consequences. More carriers have exited the market or filed for bankruptcy, yet capacity reductions haven’t led to better rates.
Tariff uncertainty has added another layer of risk, especially as equipment costs have risen more than 50% over the past five years. This challenge affects everyone, from large fleets to owner-operators and suppliers.
2. Lawsuit Abuse and Nuclear Verdicts Impacting Trucking
Lawsuit abuse reform climbed to the second spot — its highest ranking in the survey’s 21-year history.
The industry has seen verdicts topping $100 million, often called “nuclear verdicts,” which drive up legal exposure and insurance costs.
ATRI highlights growing concerns around third-party litigation funding and staged accident schemes. While some states have passed reforms, including damage caps and limits on phantom damages, progress remains uneven nationwide.
3. Skyrocketing Truck Insurance Costs and Limited Coverage Options
According to ATRI, insurance premiums have increased 36% over the past eight years. Renewals in early 2025 alone were up nearly 10%.
Higher premiums squeeze already thin margins, especially for small carriers. Many fleets now face fewer coverage options, higher deductibles or stricter underwriting standards.
4. Chronic Truck Parking Shortages
Truck parking is a major concern among drivers. Limited parking forces drivers to choose between stopping early or risking violations.
However, there has been some progress in this area. Ohio and Pennsylvania announced plans to add more than 2,600 parking spaces combined.
Still, ATRI notes that 74% of states haven’t acquired land for new parking in the past decade. This is largely due to funding and zoning barriers.
5. Driver Compensation Challenges in a Tough Economy
Driver compensation ranked fifth overall in the list, but it’s the number one concern among drivers. ATRI found driver wages rose just 2.4% in 2025, trailing inflation.
Unpaid detention and congestion time play a major role here. ATRI estimates detention accounts for 135.9 million lost driver hours each year. Congestion adds another 1.2 billion hours.
These delays directly affect take-home pay and job satisfaction.
6. Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) System Concerns and Enforcement Gaps
Many carriers remain concerned about inconsistent enforcement between states and how that impacts CSA scores.
FMCSA has announced planned updates, including reorganizing violation categories and excluding nonpreventable crashes. However, implementation timelines remain unclear, keeping CSA high on the concern list.
7. English Language Proficiency Requirements for Commercial Drivers
New to the top 10 challenges in the trucking industry is English language proficiency. In 2025, Executive Order 14286 led to stricter enforcement guidance for roadside inspections.
ATRI points to gaps in CDL training and testing that allow some drivers to be licensed without meeting federal proficiency requirements.
Safety concerns, including fatal crashes tied to communication issues, have pushed this issue higher.
8. Stricter Diesel Emissions Regulations and Rising Compliance Costs
The heavy-duty NOx rule is scheduled to take effect for model year 2027 trucks and is expected to significantly increase new truck prices. This comes at a difficult time as new Class 8 truck prices are already more than 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
ATRI research has also shown that past EPA cost estimates underestimated real-world compliance costs by two to five times.
9. Inadequate Driver Training Standards
Driver training standards have been a long-standing driver concern. While the federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule took effect in 2022, enforcement gaps remain. Many respondents support auditing the FMCSA Training Provider Registry to ensure schools meet required standards.
Poor training doesn’t just affect new drivers. It also affects safety for everyone on the road.
10. Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Trucking Operations
AI offers potential gains in routing, maintenance planning and data analysis. However, it also raises concerns about job displacement and AI-enabled fraud.
ATRI notes a growing need for clear guidance on appropriate AI use, along with education for both fleets and drivers.
How Driver and Carrier Priorities Differ in 2026
One of ATRI’s most useful insights comes from comparing driver and motor carrier rankings. While there’s overlap, priorities aren’t always the same.
Drivers ranked their top concerns as:
- Driver compensation
- Truck parking
- English language proficiency
- Broker issues (broker fraud, broker liability litigation and double-brokering)
- Detention and delay at customer facilities
Motor carriers, by contrast, ranked:
- The economy
- Lawsuit abuse reform
- Insurance costs and availability
- CSA scores
- Truck driver shortage
Owner-operators also differ slightly from company drivers in their priorities. They ranked broker issues and diesel emissions regulations as larger issues than AI use and driver training standards.
These differences matter because effective solutions need to address both perspectives.
Emerging Challenges to Watch
Just outside the top 10, ATRI flagged several issues gaining momentum.
Driver distraction ranked 11th, supported by federal crash data showing more than 3,300 fatalities tied to distraction-affected crashes in 2022. Broker issues, including fraud and double-brokering, also continue to rise.
Notably, the driver shortage fell out of the top 10 for the first time in survey history. That shift reflects current market conditions rather than a long-term fix.
What This Means for the Industry Moving Forward
These challenges don’t exist in isolation. Rising insurance costs connect to lawsuit abuse. Driver pay ties directly to detention, congestion and freight rates. Regulatory uncertainty influences equipment decisions and long-term planning.
Addressing these issues will require coordination among carriers, drivers, associations, policymakers and industry partners.
ATRI’s data helps frame the conversation, but progress depends on action at both the state and federal levels. The road ahead won’t be simple, but the trucking industry has always adapted. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward making informed decisions.
At Rush Truck Centers, we work closely with drivers and fleets navigating the same economic, regulatory and operational pressures highlighted in ATRI’s report. With more than 140 locations nationwide, our experts can help you plan for rising operating costs, equipment decisions and upcoming regulations — including the 2027 NOx standards.
Talk with a Rush Truck Centers specialist today to understand how these challenges may impact your fleet and how to prepare with confidence.
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