Insurance Slipped to No. 4 on Trucking's Worry List. Your Premium Did Not Slip With It

What ATRI released on October 18

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, the American Transportation Research Institute released its 22nd annual Top Industry Issues report at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nearly 3,100 people took the survey between August 24 and October 2, and each one picked their top three concerns from a list of 27. Transport Topics and Heavy Duty Trucking, through Trucking Info, both covered the release.

Fuel prices jumped 17 spots to take first place, only the fourth time fuel has topped the list. Lawsuit abuse reform held at second. The CSA program climbed three spots to third, its highest finish since 2015. Insurance cost and availability slipped from third to fourth. The driver shortage, the economy, artificial intelligence, diesel emissions rules, driver compensation, and driver retention rounded out the top ten.

Down one spot is not down in price

This is the part owner-operators should read twice. ATRI said plainly that insurance falling in the ranking does not mean costs fell. Its research shows carrier liability premiums rose 18.2% from 2021 through 2024, even though truck crash involvement dropped 2.6% over the same stretch. For fleets with fewer than 100 trucks, the increases ran from 27% to 50%.

In other words, insurance did not get cheaper. Diesel simply got loud enough to crowd it out. When diesel tops $6.50 a gallon, as TCW president Ben Banks told the conference it did, that is the number you feel at every stop. Your liability premium lands once or twice a year, so it is easy to forget until renewal. If you want to see how a truck insurance premium is actually built, our guide on how much commercial truck insurance costs walks through the moving parts.

Why small operations pay more of the bill

The gap between 18.2% overall and up to 50% for small fleets is the story for anyone running one to a handful of trucks. A small operation has fewer units to spread one bad claim across, and lawsuit pressure lands hard on a policy built around a single truck. It is no accident that lawsuit abuse reform held second overall and ranked first among motor carriers. Your commercial auto liability coverage is the policy that answers when a crash turns into a lawsuit, and it is usually the biggest line on your insurance bill.

ATRI also reported that non fuel operating costs hit a record $1.854 per mile in 2025, up 4.2% from the year before. Insurance is part of that number. So is everything else that keeps rising while rates stay thin.

The fix the industry voted for, and what you can do now

Among respondents worried about insurance, the top strategy was building a framework for upfront premium reductions when fleets and drivers adopt proven safety technology. That is a proposal, not a program, and no one should promise you a discount for buying a camera. But the logic behind it already shows up at renewal. Underwriters price what they can see, and a clean record backed by evidence is easier to price well.

CSA's climb to third matters here too. The leading CSA strategy in the survey was addressing differences in enforcement between states and local jurisdictions, because those differences can move a carrier's scores. Underwriters read those scores. Challenge inspection errors through DataQs when they happen, keep maintenance records clean, and do not let a bad roadside week sit unanswered on your file.

What owner-operators said is different

Owner-operators and independent contractors named fuel, truck parking, and broker issues as their top three. Broker issues tie straight back to insurance, since brokers keep raising the limits and certificates they want before they hand over a load. If you are being asked for higher limits, check that your motor truck cargo coverage and liability limits match what your lanes actually require, rather than paying for limits you never use or losing loads over limits you lack.

Get ahead of your next renewal

A survey ranking will not lower your premium, but shopping your coverage with the right agent can. Fast Trucking Insurance Quotes works with owner-operators and small fleets to compare markets and match limits to the freight you really haul. Get a truck insurance quote in under a minute right here, or call or text 423-264-4255 and talk to someone who knows trucking.