ATRI’s 2021 Research Priorities Include Young Drivers, Electric Trucks
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Understanding the most effective way to bring 18- to 20-year-olds into the trucking industry was listed as a top 2021 research priority for the American Transportation Research Institute.
The research topics, unveiled May 25, were identified by the group’s Research Advisory Committee and subsequently approved by ATRI’s board of directors. The committee, which includes trucking company executives, labor union leaders, academics and government officials, developed the list of topics at its meeting May 4-5 in Atlanta.
To understand how to integrate younger people into the industry, ATRI will use a case study approach to document best practices for recruiting, training and retaining younger people in trucking careers.
Brewster
ATRI President Rebecca Brewster noted that recruiting younger drivers to trucking aligns with the industry’s focus on resolving the truck driver shortage, which has ranked No. 1 on ATRI’s Top Industry Issues list four years in a row. American Trucking Associations estimated a shortage of 60,800 drivers at the end of 2018.
Brewster also pointed out this priority extends beyond attracting young drivers and includes a focus on bringing young people into the “whole host of career options in the trucking industry.”
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“I like that it is taking a more holistic approach at how do we just get more young people into this industry and keep them here,” Brewster told Transport Topics. “It’s not just enough to come up with messaging and understanding how to make this industry appealing to them, but how do we effectively train that cohort of individuals and how do we keep them in the industry.”
Another ATRI research priority has to do with charging infrastructure considerations for electric trucks. Research will consider power demand scenarios, grid connectivity availability and vehicle charging requirements.
Also on the list this year is understanding the environmental impacts of zero-emission trucks. This research will involve a comparative environmental impact study of the life cycles of electric versus diesel Class 8 trucks, taking into account manufacturing, operations and disposal.
Noting the momentum on environmental issues at the federal level, Brewster said this year is the first time both of these topics have been elevated to top priority status. President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan proposes dedicating $174 billion toward the electric vehicle market.
The #ATRI Board has approved ATRI's research agenda for 2021 https://t.co/cTd1IqU9b8 #trucking #truckingresearch pic.twitter.com/18bN7UHhiJ — ATRI (@Truck_Research) May 25, 2021
The impacts of decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs on the trucking industry is another research priority. This study would update ATRI’s 2019 report by examining roadway safety and workforce impacts in states that are changing their controlled substance laws.
The final research priority is qualifying the impacts of driver-facing cameras on fleets and drivers, an analysis that will focus on safety, litigation and workforce impacts.
“ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee has identified a number of areas that are having a profound impact on the trucking industry and will continue to for the foreseeable future,” said ATA spokesman Sean McNally. “ATRI’s research is invaluable to ATA as we advocate for solutions to these challenges, so we are looking forward to the results of their studies.”
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