Stay ahead of the shipping curve in 2020 and check out the top 10 freight industry issues that could affect your supply chain here.

1. Top 10 Freight Industry Issues
2020 Freight
Shipping Outlook

2. Critical Issues in the
Trucking Industry — 2019
The top 10 freight industry issues facing
the trucking industry, based on 2,119
industry stakeholders who responded to
The American Transportation Research
Institute’s (ATRI) annual survey.

3. #10Economy
I n d u s t r y - w i d e u n c e r t a i n t y a b o u t t h e
f u t u r e o f c u r r e n t r e g u l a t i o n s , t r a d e
w a r s a n d f u e l s u p p l i e s p u t t h e
e c o n o m y o n t h i s l i s t a t # 1 0 .
I mpact on shippers :
T h i s i s n o t a t r u c k i n g - o n l y
c o n c e r n . T h e e c o n o m y i s
a l w a y s a c o n c e r n f o r s h i p p e r s
a n d a l l o f u s .

4. Tr ansportation I nfrastructure /
Congestion / Funding
P o o r l y m a i n t a i n e d r o a d s a n d
b r i d g e s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y c a u s e
d e l a y s a n d i n c r e a s e d s h i p p i n g
c o s t s . C u r r e n t f e d e r a l s u p p o r t
e x p i r e s i n 2 0 2 0 .
I mpact on shippers :
D e l a y s a n d s a f e t y i s s u e s
c a u s e d b y h i g h w a y s i n n e e d
o f r e p a i r c o s t s s h i p p e r s
m o n e y e v e r y d a y .
#9

5. Compliance, Safety,
Accountability (CSA)
T h i s i s a n i n d u s t r y - w i d e e f f o r t t o
w o r k w i t h t h e F e d e r a l M o t o r
C a r r i e r S a f e t y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n t o
i m p r o v e s a f e t y a c c o u n t a b i l i t y .
I mpact on shippers :
A l l s a f e t y i m p r o v e m e n t s h a v e
a p o s i t i v e i m p a c t o n
s h i p p e r s .
#8

6. El ectronic Logging Device
(ELD) Mandate
E L D s t r a c k w h e t h e r d r i v e r s
c o m p l y w i t h t h e H o u r s o f S e r v i c e
r e g u l a t i o n s . D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 b r i n g s
t h e f i n a l s t a g e o f E L D
i m p l e m e n t a t i o n .
I mpact on shippers :
N o o n e i s q u i t e s u r e o f w h a t
t h e i m p a c t w i l l b e . P a r t i e s
a r e c a l l i n g f o r s t u d i e s t o
q u a n t i f y t h e i m p a c t s o f
E L D s .
#7

7. Dr iver Ret ention
P a y i n c r e a s e s h a v e s l o w e d t h e r a t e
o f d r i v e r t u r n o v e r , b u t r e t a i n i n g
d r i v e r s i s s t i l l a m a j o r c o n c e r n f o r
c a r r i e r s .
I mpact on shippers :
E x p e r i e n c e d d r i v e r s d o a
b e t t e r j o b o f m e e t i n g
s h i p p e r s ’ n e e d s . L o w d r i v e r
r e t e n t i o n m e a n s f e w e r
“ b e t t e r ” d r i v e r s .
#6

8. Tr uck Parking
D r i v e r s m u s t s t r a t e g i c a l l y r o u t e
t h e m s e l v e s t o o p t i m i z e t h e i r
d r i v i n g h o u r s w h i l e r e a c h i n g a
d e s i g n a t e d p a r k i n g a r e a w i t h i n
t h e i r l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f d r i v i n g
h o u r s .
I mpact on shippers :
W h e n d r i v e r s m u s t s p e n d
h o u r s l o o k i n g f o r a l e g a l
p l a c e t o s t o p o v e r n i g h t , i t
c a n d e l a y a s h i p m e n t ’ s
d e l i v e r y .
#5

9. Detention / Delay at Customer
Facilities
T r u c k s o f t e n h a v e t o w a i t t h e i r
t u r n a t c r o w d e d l o a d i n g d o c k s .
D e l a y s c a n g o p a s t s i x h o u r s a n d
c u t i n t o h o w l o n g a d r i v e r c a n s t a y
o n t h e r o a d .
I mpact on shippers :
T h e r e i s m i n i m a l i m p a c t o n
s h i p p e r s . T h e m a j o r i m p a c t i s
o n d r i v e r s a n d s m a l l c a r r i e r s .
#4

10. Dr iver Compensation
R e c e n t i n c r e a s e s i n d r i v e r p a y a r e
n o t k e e p i n g u p w i t h i n f l a t i o n . L o w
p a y f u e l s t h e o n g o i n g d r i v e r
s h o r t a g e .
I mpact on shippers :
T h i s i s a m i x e d b a g f o r s h i p p e r s .
W h i l e i n c r e a s i n g d r i v e r
c o m p e n s a t i o n h e l p s r e t a i n a n d
a t t r a c t e x p e r i e n c e d d r i v e r s , i t a l s o
r a i s e s c a r r i e r c o s t s a n d c o n t r i b u t e s
t o h i g h e r r a t e s .
#3

11. Hours-of-Service (HOS)
R u l e s g o v e r n i n g h o w l o n g d r i v e r s
c a n w o r k a n d w h e n t h e y m u s t r e s t
a r e c o n s i d e r e d a r b i t r a r y a n d
i n f l e x i b l e .
Impact on shippers :
H O S r u l e s c a n c a u s e s h i p p i n g
d e l a y s . N e w r u l e s h a v e b e e n
p r o p o s e d a n d a r e u n d e r
r e v i e w .
#2

12. Dr iver Shortage
T h e A m e r i c a n T r u c k i n g
A s s o c i a t i o n e s t i m a t e s a c u r r e n t
s h o r t a g e o f o v e r 6 0 , 0 0 0 d r i v e r s a n d
g r o w i n g .
I mpact on shippers :
A d r i v e r s h o r t a g e c a u s e s a
f r e i g h t s h i p p i n g c a p a c i t y
s h o r t a g e , w h i c h r a i s e s r a t e s .
#1

13. Want more on these
subjects?
F r e i g h t C e n t e r t o o k a c l o s e
l o o k a t T r a n s p o r t a t i o n
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e / C o n g e s t i o n
/ F u n d i n g i n 2 0 2 0 F r e i g h t
S h i p p i n g O u t l o o k : N e e d e d
H i g h w a y F u n d i n g i n
J e o p a r d y .
D o w n l o a d t h e c o m p l e t e
A T R I r e p o r t .

14. 800.716.7608 | freightcenter.com