Quick Overview

  • The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) issued a press release on June 4, calling on carriers and truck drivers to participate in afollow-up surveyto examine the adoption and awareness of onboard safety technologies.
  • The survey is part of the four-year projectTechCeleratePhase 2, supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which aims to study awareness, deployment, and industry attitudes toward advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies.
  • Researchers will compare the latest feedback with baseline data collected in Phase 1 of the project to track changes in adoption trends and technology preferences within the trucking industry.

In-Depth Insights

ATRI's latest survey builds on researchfirst launched in 2019aimed at establishing abaseline understanding。

of how trucking stakeholders perceive onboard safety technologies and how their views evolve over time. The questionnaire focuses onfour major categories of ADAS technologies: warning systems, steering assistance systems, camera-based monitoring systems, and braking systems. Respondents are asked to rate their familiarity with specific technologies, with options ranging from "never heard of it" to "expert level," and to indicate which technologies they believe are most likely to achieve widespread adoption in the industry.

TechCelerate Phase 1 surveyed more than 700 drivers and 200 carrier executives, revealing that braking systems and warning systems were seen as the technologies most likely to achieve widespread adoption. Cost was both a major barrier to adoption and one of the strongest drivers for investing in these technologies.

As ADAS technologies become more prevalent and fleets weigh potential safety benefits against implementation costs, the follow-up survey is expected to reveal whether industry perceptions have shifted. TechCelerate also provides areturn on investment calculatorto help leaders make informed decisions.

In the fall of 2023, FMCSAawarded the Phase 2 contract for the TechCelerate project. The current research team includes ATRI, the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).