Fuel jumps 17 spots to trucking's top concern in ATRI's 2026 survey

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its 22nd annual Top Industry Issues survey on Oct. 18 at the ATA Management Conference in Charlotte, and the headline is fuel. Diesel jumped 17 spots to become the industry's top concern, according to Transport Topics' report on the survey. It is the fourth time fuel has led the list, after 2005, 2008 and 2022.

The economy, which ranked first for three years, fell to sixth. ATRI drew nearly 3,100 responses, with about 48% from motor carrier executives and personnel and 26% from drivers.

Drivers and carriers rank it differently

Drivers put fuel first for the first time, followed by truck parking and driver compensation, FleetOwner reported. Motor carriers ranked lawsuit abuse reform first and fuel second, with the driver shortage third. The overall list runs fuel, lawsuit abuse reform, CSA, insurance cost and availability, driver shortage, economy, artificial intelligence, diesel emissions rules, driver compensation and driver retention.

ATRI also said operating costs excluding fuel reached $1.85 per mile, which ATRI president Rebecca Brewster called the highest in the institute's 18 years of research, according to Transport Topics. That matters because rates have improved since late 2025 as for-hire capacity shrank, but FleetOwner noted it is still unclear whether the gains will outrun 2026 operating costs.

Where diesel stands

The survey was fielded from Aug. 24 to Oct. 2, a period that included the September peak. The Energy Information Administration put the weekly U.S. on-highway average at $6.179 a gallon for Oct. 12, down about two cents from $6.199 the week before and up $2.514 from a year earlier. Ben Banks, president of carrier TCW, said in ATRI's release that diesel had topped $6.50 a gallon and that the spike is "particularly painful for small- to mid-size fleets." That figure is above the EIA's latest weekly average, so it likely reflects the September high or higher-priced regions rather than today's national price.

What it means for carriers

Small and mid-size fleets feel a fuel spike first because they have less room to wait out a lag in fuel surcharge recovery. Check that your surcharge schedules reset weekly off the EIA index and that spot quotes carry the fuel component explicitly. Transport Topics also reported that the EIA does not expect diesel to return to 2025 levels until at least 2028, even if tanker traffic near the Strait of Hormuz normalizes.

What shippers and brokers should watch

Fuel at the top of the list for drivers is a retention signal. Expect more small carriers to push for firm surcharge language or to walk away from contract lanes priced on stale fuel assumptions. Brokers quoting spot freight should refresh fuel inputs weekly, and shippers with long contracts should confirm which index and which day of the week their surcharge uses.

For current numbers, see PDI's diesel prices page at /diesel.