If you manage a truck fleet, or purchase trucking services, you should find useful updated information about costing trends from the American Transportation Research Institute.

The 2023 update to ATRI’s annual research publication, titled “An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking,” analyzes a wide variety of line-item costs, operating efficiencies, and includes revenue benchmarks organized by fleet size and sector.

Total marginal costs climbed to a new high in 2022 for the second year in a row, increasing by 21.3% over 2021 to $2.251 per mile.

Although fuel was the largest driver of this spike (53.7% higher than in 2021), multiple other line-items also rose by double digits. The research also found that driver wages increased by 15.5%, to $0.724 per mile, reflecting the ongoing industry effort to attract and retain drivers. Driver benefits, however, remained stable in 2022.

Atypical market conditions posed unique challenges for acquiring and maintaining equipment in 2022. Truck and trailer payments rose by 18.6% to $0.331 per mile as carriers paid higher prices, largely due to equipment impediments in the supply chains.

Closely related, parts shortages and rising technician labor rates also pushed repair and maintenance costs up 12% to $0.196 per mile.

“ATRI’s newest Operational Costs report provides the reliable data and analysis we need to better understand our partners’ underlying costs in a volatile economy and decelerating rate marketplace,” comments Dave Broering, president of NFI Integrated Logistics.
ATRI also notes that a record number of fleets participated in this year’s research. A full copy of the report is available through ATRI’s website.