It will not surprise anyone that the No. 1 item on the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) annual Top Industry Issues list is fuel prices. With diesel prices in the $7 per gallon range, all fleets are hyper-focused on improving fuel efficiency and overall operating efficiency to mitigate rising fuel costs.

While I am concerned about fuel prices, I want to focus on other items on the ATRI list. Three of the top 10 items focus on drivers. The driver shortage, driver compensation, and driver retention are Nos. 5, 9, and 10, respectively. Although the driver shortage wasn’t on ATRI’s 2025 list of top concerns, it has historically been on the list and has returned this year. I’ve been in the trucking industry for a long time, and it seems to me that finding qualified drivers has been an ongoing issue. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find a good solution.

In its report, ATRI offers several solutions for addressing the driver shortage, including supporting an industry-funded outreach program to improve the trucking industry’s image. I think many of us can agree that the general public does not have the best opinion of the trucking industry despite the fact that we play such a vital role in the economy. I wonder if those of us in the industry are doing enough to tout the benefits of trucking.

Have you participated in career days at local schools?

Have you held open houses at your facilities to invite the public to see the employment opportunities available?

When you talk with people outside trucking, do you describe the industry positively?

Another suggestion from ATRI is to examine potential new ways for motor carriers to bring 18-year-olds into the industry in positions where they can gain experience and then transition into truck driving positions when they turn 21. Focus on attracting new high school graduates to your fleet and offering them a career path to becoming a driver.

Hand in hand with that is becoming an advocate for expanding interstate CDL eligibility to 18- to 20-year-old drivers. Younger drivers can drive within a state but cannot cross state borders. I understand limiting younger drivers, but state boundaries don’t make sense. For example, a driver who is 18-20 can drive the 200 miles between two cities in the same state but cannot drive the 25 to 30 miles from one state to the next. Perhaps a mileage restriction makes more sense than a state line restriction.

While driver compensation fell four spots on last year’s list, it remains a top concern among drivers who responded to the ATRI survey. Driver compensation is about more than pay, though pay is important. ATRI suggests that fleets analyze various driver compensation models, including per-mile, per-hour, and percentage-of-revenue. ATRI also suggests researching programs that financially incentivize drivers for retention, safety performance, and fuel economy. These bonuses give drivers more control over how much they earn in a given year and can tie them more closely to your company.

Driver retention is perennially on the ATRI list of top concerns. Finding drivers is only half the problem; we also need to focus our efforts on keeping drivers once they are hired. Consider conducting exit interviews with drivers who are leaving your company to learn why. Make sure you communicate with your drivers regularly so they know you value their contribution to the organization. Again, pay is one factor that keeps drivers on your payroll, but other factors also keep employees with an organization. Factors such as work/life balance, the opportunity for advancement, a positive work environment, and feeling valued are other things that keep employees—including drivers—at your company for years.

While we may not be able to do much about fuel prices, we can take steps to address the driver-related issues on ATRI’s list of top industry concerns.