Although it might seem reasonable that higher pay could support safer behavior among long-haul truck drivers, many other factors affect safety performance. Driving conditions, other drivers, truck driver behavior, working conditions, and equipment all play a role. A two-year study of driver compensation in relation to safety and retention for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) also found that challenges with data collection and comparison groups prevent a definitive evaluation of connections between pay and poor safety performance among long-haul truckers.
As part of the study team, Stephen Burks, professor emeritus of economics and management at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Morris and CTS emeritus scholar, presented project findings at the 2025 CTS Transportation Research Conference. The session explored freight from both local and long-haul perspectives.
The TRB study, which was mandated by Congress, also dug deeper into truck driver shortages. It found that the perception of a long-term shortage results from carriers whose turnover is high enough that they are always hiring. “There have been short-term shortages and short-term surpluses,” Burks said. “A long-term shortage doesn’t exist.”
New tool shapes a picture of freight flows and more
In 2025, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) launched a pilot of its Freight Network Optimization Tool (FNOT). Developed in collaboration with Minnesota IT Services, FNOT pulls together data sets from different sources to offer a more complete picture of freight flows into and out of the state and its regions as well as applies data to model-specific scenarios.
In the session, Andrew Andrusko, freight and rail planning director at MnDOT, explained how FNOT can benefit shippers, supply chain operators, planners, researchers, and a host of others in the public and private sectors by:
- Lowering shipping costs and increasing economic competitiveness.
- Identifying market opportunities and supporting projected growth.
- Improving supply chain network performance and addressing constraints and inefficiencies.
- Reducing highway congestion, emissions, and truck-related crashes while lessening road maintenance and capital expenditures.
- Anticipating the impact of changes in economic conditions or new infrastructure investments.
- Identifying environmental and social impacts.
“FNOT is a prototype,” Andrusko said, and as such he encouraged participants to try it out. “It’s a work in progress. Our intent is to improve the tool with what we learn from users.”
Innovations to address last-mile challenges
Rising demand for e-commerce and speedy delivery continue to put more pressure on the last mile—the phase during which goods move from the store or warehouse to the consumer.
“Last mile is the most expensive part of the supply chain process and also increases emissions,” said Nastaran Tork, PhD student in the UMN’s civil, environmental, and geo-engineering department. In the last presentation, Tork outlined the challenges of last-mile delivery growth, which include higher costs and sustainability issues.
Among the firms responding to a 2018 survey, last-mile delivery accounted for 41 percent of total supply chain costs, compared to warehousing at 13 percent. In addition, without action, emissions resulting from deliveries in urban areas could rise by 60 percent by 2030, with congestion also projected to increase.
The UMN’s Transit Lab is exploring ways to mitigate last-mile challenges, such as hauling freight on buses with capacity, employing bicycles, integrating both transit and bicycles in a scheduled system, and encouraging use of bicycles for grocery shopping.
Cooperation is also key to innovative approaches, said Tork. “We need to develop public and private partnerships.”
This research conference session was held in alignment with CTS’s 2025 thematic focus, “Unpacking Freight: From Producers to Front Doors.”
—Darlene Gorrill, contributing writer
