As carriers plan for the year ahead, insurance cost and availability are emerging as one of the most influential factors shaping fleet strategy. According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), Insurance Cost/Availability now ranks as the third most critical issue facing the trucking industry, up one spot from last year’s survey.
This rise reflects a reality many fleets are already experiencing: insurance premiums continue to climb, coverage is becoming harder to secure, and underwriting standards are tightening across the industry. As economic uncertainty and litigation exposure persist, insurance is no longer a background operating expense. It is becoming a central driver of planning, hiring, and operational decision-making as we enter 2026.
Understanding how insurance pressures are evolving and how safety performance directly influences insurance positioning is critical for carriers preparing for the year ahead.
ATRI’s 2025 report highlights that insurance premiums have increased 36 percent over the past eight years, driven by rising loss severity, litigation exposure, and claims costs.
Even as large truck crashes have declined for the fourth straight year, insurers continue to experience unprofitable results in commercial auto due to increasing verdict sizes and social inflation. As a result, carriers are facing:
For many fleets, insurance is no longer a predictable fixed cost. It is a variable risk factor that can directly impact margins, capacity decisions, and growth plans.
One of ATRI’s top proposed strategies for addressing rising insurance costs is to quantify how safety management practices and safety technology reduce insurance risk and premiums.
This reflects a growing recognition across the industry: safety performance is now one of the strongest levers carriers have to manage insurance cost and availability.
Fleets with strong, consistent safety performance are more likely to access preferred underwriting tiers, stabilize renewal outcomes, and maintain broader carrier options in a tightening market.
As insurance markets tighten, carriers are reassessing how deeply safety is embedded into their operations. Programs that reduce accident rates do more than protect drivers and the public. They now play a direct role in:
This shift is pushing many carriers to treat safety not as a compliance function, but as a strategic business discipline tied directly to financial performance.
At TransForce, safety is not positioned as a response to insurance pressure. It is a foundational part of how the organization operates at scale.
As outlined in our recent article, Safety at Scale: Building a Culture That Reduces DOT-Reportable Accidents, TransForce drivers have consistently operated at a lower rate of DOT-reportable accidents per million miles than private fleets over the past 15 years. Given that private fleets are often considered some of the safest operators in the industry, surpassing their long-term performance by 27 percent underscores the strength of TransForce’s safety culture.
This performance is not the result of a single initiative. It reflects systems built around:
For carriers navigating rising insurance costs and increased risk scrutiny, partnering with a workforce provider that prioritizes safety at scale can make a meaningful difference. TransForce works closely with carriers to support safer operations, stronger performance, and long-term risk management across markets.
As carriers prepare for the year ahead, insurance cost and availability will continue to shape decisions around:
Fleets that can demonstrate strong safety performance, disciplined risk management, and consistent operating standards will be better positioned to navigate tightening insurance markets with greater stability and flexibility.
For many carriers, workforce partners that bring proven safety systems and performance data are becoming an increasingly important part of long-term risk strategy.
Insurance is no longer just a cost line item. It is becoming a strategic variable that influences how carriers hire, grow, and operate.
As highlighted in ATRI’s 2025 report, addressing insurance pressure will require a combination of litigation reform, technology adoption, and measurable safety performance. For carriers planning for 2026, building safety into the operating model is one of the most effective ways to protect both people and margins in an unpredictable market.
By combining workforce flexibility with a deeply embedded safety culture, TransForce supports carriers not only in meeting capacity needs, but in strengthening the foundation that drives long-term operational and financial stability.