WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today called on for-hire motor carriers to participate in its annual Operational Costs of Trucking report.

ATRI's Operational Costs of Trucking is trusted by thousands of industry decisionmakers every year as a key barometer of freight market conditions and is the leading public benchmarking tool for motor carriers of all sectors, from owner-operators to 10,000+ truck fleets. 

The report tracks cost metrics such as driver pay, equipment expenditures, and insurance premiums as well as key performance indicators such as non-revenue mileage, driver utilization, mileage between breakdowns, and revenue per truck per week.

All participating motor carriers receive a customized report that compares their costs and operations to an anonymized peer group of the same sector and size. New in 2026, customized reports for multi-year participants will also include year-over-year comparisons to more directly evaluate trends over time.

"There are signs of growing opportunities for trucking in 2026, but only if fleets can maintain disciplined, nimble operations," said Hirschbach Motor Lines Chief Financial Officer Andrew Hadland. "ATRI's Operational Costs of Trucking and the customized report we receive as participants are important inputs for ensuring healthy performance in our costs and operations despite economic headwinds."

For-hire motor carriers are invited to participate by Friday, April 24, 2026. Data for the year 2025 can be submitted online or by PDF: both forms are available on ATRI's website along with a sample customized report and other helpful information for participants. All confidential data is protected and published only in anonymized averages.

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501c3 not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

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SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute