Fleetworthy: Nuclear Verdicts and Compliance Top Fleet Management Concerns – Safety & Compliance

Fleetworthy said the findings provide a glimpse into some of the greatest business administration pain points fleets and owner-operators face daily heading into 2025.

Rising Costs and Workloads 

The report found that the increasing costs and administrative tasks required for trucking companies to maintain compliance and run efficiently are major issues impacting operations.

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 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.

“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, Fleetworthy president and chief strategy officer. “In many cases, keeping up with compliance-related tasks hampers a trucking company’s ability to grow its business. 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. This report provides a great look into what compliance, safety, and other administrative challenges fleets are faced with and how they’re responding to them.” 

Fear of Nuclear Verdicts

According to the report, the possibility of a nuclear verdict in the event of a significant accident or legal dispute is a top concern. 

This is especially the case for midsize and small trucking operations that 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 believe their organization has a strong safety culture and is well informed on all DOT regulations.

Still, 65% of respondents voiced concern that their fleet would not pass a DOT audit. And 87% cited compliance documentation issues and complications as a major barrier to doing so.

Respondents also identified resources they felt would be helpful for identifying and correcting safety and compliance issues:

• 68% said they wanted real-time alerts for things like certification expirations, missing permits and other documentation issues
• 65% are interested in software management systems that can automate compliance evaluations
• 53% would like access to a consultant who can help optimize the compliance process
• 39% said they would like to have customizable dashboards that track compliance progress and alert them to gaps
• 30% said they need access to more training to improve their knowledge concerning regulatory compliance.

Safety a Top Concern

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 fleet and owner-operators are adding.

For more insight on compliance, safety, and administrative trends impacting commercial fleets and owner-operators, download the 2025 Trucking and Fleet Insights Report at https://fleetworthy.com/resources/the-road-ahead-2025-trucking-and-fleet-insights-report/.