Traffic congestion cost trucking $74.5 billion 2016, ATRI report says

October 19, 2018

Land Line Staff

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Traffic congestion on U.S. highways added nearly $74.5 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2016, according to a study released by the American Transportation Research Institute.

The cost estimate equates to a 0.5 percent increase when compared to 2015.

“Perhaps no other issue has as great an impact on this nation’s supply chain as traffic congestion,” Benjamin J. McLean, Ruan Transportation Management Systems chief executive officer, said in a news release. “In the face of growing and pervasive congestion, not only does the trucking industry lose billions annually but ultimately the consumer pays the price through higher prices on the shelf.”

According to ATRI, it used a variety of data sources, including its unique track GPS database, to calculate delays on the National Highway System totaling nearly 1.2 billion hours of lost productivity.

“This equates to 425,533 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for a working year,” ATRI said.

About 87 percent of total nationwide congestions costs occurred on only 17.2 percent of National Highway System segment miles, according to ATRI.

“These National Highway System segments are characterized as having above-average costs in excess of $155,000 per mile during 2016 and are predominately located in densely populated areas,” ATRI said.

Texas and Florida were the states with the most congestion costs, totaling $2.4 billion each.

A full copy of ATRI’s report can be found here.