“Skyrocketing” fuel costs and tightening margins are now the heaviest burdens weighing on the commercial transportation sector. This volatile operating environment officially pushed fuel prices to the No. 1 spot on the American Transportation Research Institute’s 22nd annual Top Industry Issues report.

The transition marks a major shift for fleet executives.

After an extended three-year reign at the top of the priority list, the state of the freight economy has been unseated, dropping to the sixth spot amid cautious optimism and stabilizing rates. Meanwhile, diesel prices have surged following global supply disruptions, severely impacting carrier cash flow.

“Just as we started to see some positive signs in the freight economy, the cost of diesel topped $6.50 per gallon,” Ben Banks, TCW president, said in an ATRI news release. “With operating costs continuing to climb overall, this spike in fuel costs is particularly painful for small- to mid-size fleets. ATRI’s annual analysis is so essential for trucking to not only quantify the issues, but more importantly, to understand what we can collectively do as an industry to address each.”

The evolution of industry pressures

Over the past three years, the economy maintained a stranglehold on the top spot as the commercial vehicle sector navigated a prolonged freight recession and bottomed-out pricing. In 2024 and 2025, operational hurdles like truck parking, lawsuit abuse reform, and insurance costs consistently rounded out the highest tiers.

This year, lawsuit abuse reform held strong at No. 2, followed by Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) making a significant jump to third. Insurance cost and availability landed in fourth place.

Workforce and emerging tech

With economic anxiety slightly subsiding, workforce issues returned to the top 10. The driver shortage landed in the fifth spot, driver compensation was ninth, and driver retention rounded out the list at No. 10.

Additionally, artificial intelligence in trucking and diesel emissions regulations—both of which debuted or surged on the 2025 list—maintained their top 10 status in 2026.

Diverging perspectives

As always, priorities differ greatly depending on who is behind the wheel versus who is behind the desk.

Among motor carriers, lawsuit abuse reform took the top spot, followed by fuel prices and the driver shortage. Conversely, drivers ranked fuel prices, truck parking, and compensation as their primary pain points.

Bulk representation at ATRI

The extensive research and strategic direction of these annual reports are guided by ATRI’s Board of Directors and its Research Advisory Committee. For the liquid and dry bulk sectors, the industry retains a strong voice within these groups. Harold Sumerford, CEO of J&M Tank Lines, serves on the ATRI Board of Directors, while Robb McCaig, president of Trimac Transportation, represents the tank truck segment on the Research Advisory Committee.

The comprehensive 2026 report contains granular breakdowns of owner-operator versus company driver concerns, law enforcement priorities, and proposed industry strategies to combat these challenges.

The full Top Industry Issues report is available to download at ATRI’s website.