Today the Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) released the top three industry priorities for its members in 2024 identifying the legal climate as the state’s top priority. Insurance cost is a persistent problem that will not go away putting a massive burden on the state’s truckers. In fact, it is a problem for every Louisianan hitting their pocketbook monthly. Members of the LMTA also identified insurance cost as the other top concern specific to truckers in the state. Insurance cost and lawsuit abuse are closely linked in Louisiana.

“I am not surprised to see insurance cost as the top issue for truckers in Louisiana. It has been a top 10 issue for years because it has not been tackled. We hear concerns from members every day about needing relief from rapidly escalating insurance costs. There is a limited availability of affordable truck insurance due to the lack of competition in the market. Add the pressure from lawsuit abuse and skyrocketing prices, it spells a dismal picture for the industry,” says LMTA’s Executive Director Renee Amar.

Also, in the top three priorities, but a very distant third, is the worker shortage and retention, including diesel technicians. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) stated that in 2021 the truck driver shortage hit a historic high of just over 80,000 drivers. While there is no single cause of the driver shortage, some of the primary factors include a high number of retirement, lack of women drivers, and the federally mandated minimum age of 21 to drive commercially across state lines.

Amar stated, “We are grateful that our members told us their top priorities. Now we must find solutions, especially concerning insurance cost and lawsuit abuse. We do not believe that there is a silver bullet for these issues but several approaches can help ease the burden. With a new governor and legislature coming into office in 2024, our hope is that everyone is laser focused on problem solving to find common sense solutions that provide a level playing field and fairness for truckers. We are in a desperate situation and need help now more than ever. We truly need all hands-on deck.”

The Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) underscores lawsuit abuse as the paramount priority for the state's trucking industry, closely followed by the persistent issue of insurance cost. These challenges not only burden truckers but also impact every Louisianan financially on a monthly basis. As the industry grapples with the critical issues of worker shortage and retention, including the shortage of diesel technicians, the urgent need for solutions becomes increasingly apparent.