Ensuring compliance with regulations is the top concern for most fleets and owner-operators, according to “The Road Ahead 2025: Trucking and Fleet Insights Report” compiled by Fleetworthy.
The report, based on a survey of 300 employees of large and mid-size carriers, along with owner-operators, reveals key challenges fleets and independent drivers face in regard to compliance, safety and administrative-related tasks.
“With regulations in our industry constantly changing, fleets and owner-operators are spending a lot of time and money ensuring their trucks and company are staying compliant,” said Michael Precia, president and chief strategy officer at Fleetworthy.
“In many cases, keeping up with compliance-related tasks hampers a trucking company’s ability to grow its business,” he continued. “In fact, 95% of all respondents in this report said compliance challenges are holding fleets and owner-operators back from growing their businesses and offering new services.”
In addition, more than half (55%) of fleet operators surveyed said they’re “drowning in paperwork,” with complex compliance documentation becoming a major barrier to onboarding new drivers. This results in missed opportunities as well as increased costs.
Other key findings include:
- 96% of respondents reported reducing costs in other areas of their business to cover compliance-related expenses over the past 12 months.
- 93% of respondents said they face significant challenges in managing tolls, including the complexity of multiple transponders and unpredictable toll expenses.
- 35% of owner-operators said they have considered ceasing operations due to rising costs and time required to manage compliance tasks.
According to the report, the possibility of a nuclear verdict in the event of a significant accident or legal dispute is another top concern. This is especially the case for midsize and small trucking operations, which have more limited resources and capabilities to maintain robust compliance records and safety programs. In the report, 35% of leaders at midsize fleets reported being “very” or “extremely” concerned about being involved in a nuclear verdict case.
Despite concerns regarding nuclear verdicts, 93% of all fleet leaders surveyed said they believe their organization has a strong safety culture and is well informed on all DOT regulations. Among owner-operators, 97% thought they were more aware of safety and compliance best practices and DOT regulations compared to other independent truckers on the road.
To assist with fleet and driver safety, the report found an overwhelming majority of all respondents (96%) have made some type of investment in safety equipment in the past 12 months. In addition, in-cab cameras and monitoring systems are among the top (51%) of equipment being added by fleet owners and owner-operators.
Click here to download the 2025 Trucking and Fleet Insights Report.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
