Dive Brief:
- The trucking industry spent $14 billion in 2022 on safety compliance, maintenance and training, according to results of an American Trucking Associations survey shared this week.
- Carriers shared details with the group on expenses ranging from hours of service and inspection logs audition to drug tests as well as bonuses for clean inspections and safety tech purchased involving braking systems and advanced driver assistance system functions.
- “Our survey results show that regardless of carrier size or type, these companies are committed — just as ATA is committed — to reducing crashes and making our highways safer,” ATA SVP of Regulatory Affairs and Safety Policy Dan Horvath said in a news release.
Dive Insight:
Carriers face a barrage of challenges beyond safely delivering freight — from the costs of trucking hitting a new high last year to expensive litigation threatening firms’ ability to operate.
At the same time, federal data suggest a concerning trend with truck fatalities from 2017 to 2021. But truck crashes only involving property damage fared better in 2021 than incidents in 2018 and 2019. And from 2019 through 2021, the industry posted a decreasing rate of injuries in trucking crashes per 100 million miles traveled.
While trucking regulations put a baseline on safety, that’s not enough for the industry.
“These investments go far beyond simply complying with existing regulations,” Horvath said. “Our industry’s commitment to deploying the latest technologies, providing additional training, and incentivizing safe driving behaviors show just how seriously we take the job of reducing crashes on our highways.”
