According to the most recent benchmarking report on trucking operational costs by ATRI, increasing expenses have come up against falling freight rates. Data indicates that the average operating cost for trucks in the industry has decreased marginally by 0.4%, now standing at $46.4 per mile. That’s encouraging news, but the real challenges are in the specifics. Excluding lower fuel costs, marginal costs rose by 3.6% to $1.779, marking the highest non-fuel operating costs documented by ATRI. The report indicated that truckload carriers experienced the most significant impact on their operating margin (OR), with an average OR of -2.3% in 2024, down from 3% in 2023 and 8% in 2022. Various sectors experienced a decline in operating margins, with many struggling to maintain margins under 2%. The LTL sector was the only one to sustain a positive profitability, achieving an OR of 543%. Meanwhile, reefer carriers saw their OR decrease from 6% in 2022 to 2% in 2023, ultimately stabilizing just above breakeven at 0.1%. The Flatbed/Oversized segment experienced a comparable pattern, decreasing from 7% in 2022 to 5% in 2023, before rising to 8.43% in 2024. (Source: ATRI). “Groendyke Transport, Inc. stated that the trucking sector is experiencing its toughest freight market in years, characterized by a decrease in loads and rising expenses.”
