Joint research reveals COVID-19 impact on trucking industry

May 5, 2020
The American Transportation Research Institute and the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association Foundation identify industry impacts and provide recommendations for fleets.

The American Transportation Research Institute and the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association Foundation released research on impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on all aspects of trucking operations, including deliveries, travel times, detention, and truck parking. Most importantly, the research provides recommendations and guidance on future strategies should another national disaster strike.

“The trucking industry has weathered national disasters in the past and is doing so again through the current COVID crisis,” said Rebecca Brewster, president and COO, ATRI. “However, this latest data quantifies the challenges motor carriers and drivers are facing during this pandemic to keep essential goods moving.”

Key findings include:

  • Long-haul trips are down considerably as container imports at ports dried up. At the same time, local trips under 100 miles increased by more than 100 percent.
  • While certain segments of the industry, such as medical devices, perishable foods, and paper products, saw solid COVID-19-related increases in truck traffic – nearly 50 percent of respondents described freight levels as “somewhat” to “much” lower due to COVID.
  • Nearly 70 percent of specialized and tank truck operations were negatively impacted. In nearly every instance, smaller fleets reported greater negative impacts than larger fleets.
  • More than 40 percent of respondents said that truck parking was not any worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but by fleet size, the larger fleets did describe truck parking as more difficult to find during the pandemic.
  • The research confirmed that driver detention generally did not change due to COVID-19; however, owner-operators and small fleets experienced much worse detention delays relative to larger fleets.
  • In terms of disaster planning, almost 80 percent of owner-operators and small fleets do not have any plan in place for managing operations during natural disasters.
  • The trucking industry generally has a favorable attitude towards state and federal responses, policies, and programs set up to address the pandemic, with the federal response viewed as more favorable than the state responses.
  • The trucking industry’s perceptions about the country’s economic situation over the next several months leans slightly pessimistic – both in terms of freight movement and consumer spending.

“This research puts solid numbers to what we otherwise only suspected,” said Andrew King, research analyst for the OOIDA Foundation. “While we may be turning the corner on the COVID pandemic, we’re not out of the economic woods yet.”

Download the full report by clicking here.

Sponsored Recommendations

Going Mobile: Guide To Starting A Heavy-Duty Repair Shop

Discover if starting a heavy-duty mobile repair business is right for you. Learn the ins and outs of licensing, building, and marketing your mobile repair shop.

Career Minded

The Peterbilt Technician Institute teaches you the skills needed for a lucrative and fulfilling career, transforming students into certified diesel technicians. Maximize your ...

Proactive Fuel Risk Management Guide

Download this informative guide to explore innovative techniques to prevent fuel fraud and misuse before it happens. Understand how to save 11% or more in fuel-related costs while...

Why fleets and independent truckers use quality remanufactured cooling components.

The not-so-secret way to save time and money on truck maintenance? Remans.