FROM THE AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE: 

Traffic congestion on U.S. highways added $108.8 billion in costs to the trucking industry in 2022 according to the latest Cost of Congestion study published by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).  This finding, part of ATRI’s ongoing highway performance measurement research, marks a new record-high national congestion cost.

ATRI utilized a variety of data sources, including its substantial truck GPS database and Operational Costs benchmarks, to calculate the impacts of trucking delays on major U.S. roadways.  The total hours of congestion decreased slightly in 2022 from record 2021 highs .due to a softening freight market, but the cost of operating a truck during this period increased at a much greater rate.  

As a result, the overall cost of congestion increased by 15.0 percent year-over-year.  This level of delay is equivalent to more than 430,000 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for one work year and an average cost of $7,588 for every registered combination truck. 

Louisiana’s statewide costs were the ninth highest in the country at more than $3.6 billion in 2022, a decrease of 12.7 percent from 2021.    

"The findings from ATRI's latest Cost of Congestion study clearly highlight the severe economic burden that traffic congestion places on the trucking industry, both nationally and here in Louisiana,” says Renee Amar, Executive Director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association. “These delays not only impact operational efficiency but also drive-up costs for businesses and consumers. Addressing traffic congestion must remain a top priority to ensure the resilience of our supply chain and the success of Louisiana’s trucking industry."

A copy of this report is available here.