ATRI’s 2026 Priorities: Why “Beyond Compliance” Could Reshape Fleet Safety Strategy

ATRI’s 2026 research agenda puts Beyond Compliance back in focus. Here’s why proactive safety management could become more important for motor carriers, SMS scores, inspections, insurance, and shipper confidence.

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Key Takeaways

• ATRI’s 2026 research priorities include Advancing Beyond Compliance, a concept focused on recognizing carriers that voluntarily exceed minimum safety requirements.
• Beyond Compliance could eventually affect how fleets are evaluated, including possible SMS score treatment, inspection priority, audits, or other safety incentives.
• Fleets that document driver coaching, safety technology use, DQF management, occupational health programs, and measurable safety outcomes may be better positioned.
• Small and mid-sized carriers should start preparing now by auditing safety investments, documenting processes, and building a proactive safety management system.

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The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released its 2026 Top Research Priorities, signaling where the trucking industry, regulators, insurers, and safety-focused carriers may be headed next.

Approved by ATRI’s Board of Directors and shaped by its Research Advisory Committee (RAC), this year’s priorities reflect a clear shift: the industry is moving from reactive compliance toward proactive, performance-driven safety and operational strategy.

For motor carriers, especially small and mid-sized fleets, one priority stands out above the rest: Advancing “Beyond Compliance.”

This isn’t just another research topic, it has the potential to fundamentally change how fleets are evaluated, incentivized, and rewarded for safety.

Let’s break down what ATRI is focusing on for 2026 and why “Beyond Compliance” deserves your attention right now.

What Is “Beyond Compliance” in Trucking?

“Beyond Compliance” is the idea that motor carriers should receive recognition or incentives when they voluntarily invest in safety programs, technologies, and practices that go above minimum federal requirements.

In other words, a fleet should not only be judged by violations, inspections, and past events. It should also be recognized for the proactive steps it takes to prevent crashes, improve driver performance, strengthen compliance systems, and build a measurable safety culture.

As FMCSA has described it, the FAST Act directed the agency to consider recognition for carriers that voluntarily use advanced safety technologies, enhanced driver fitness measures, or other programs that exceed minimum regulatory compliance.

Originally introduced in the FAST Act (2015), the idea is simple: Motor carriers that invest in safety beyond minimum federal requirements should be recognized and potentially rewarded for it.

Under the law, FMCSA was directed to consider giving credit to fleets that:

• Install advanced safety technologies (e.g., collision mitigation, telematics)
• Implement enhanced driver fitness and wellness programs
• Adopt comprehensive safety management systems
• Utilize data-driven safety tools and training programs

In theory, this could mean improved SMS scores, reduced enforcement pressure, or other incentives for fleets doing things the right way.

In practice? Progress has been slow.

That’s where ATRI’s 2026 research comes in.

ATRI’s 2026 Research Priorities

ATRI’s 2026 agenda targets some of the most pressing challenges in trucking:

• Driver Coaching & Front-Line Management: Identifying which coaching strategies actually improve safety outcomes
• Advancing Beyond Compliance: Creating incentives for fleets that go above minimum safety standards
• State Benchmarking: Ranking the best and worst states for trucking business conditions
• Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis: Measuring which regulations help or hurt industry performance
• Driver Health & Medical Certification: Connecting driver wellness to operational costs
• Weather Event Impacts: Preparing fleets for disruptions from extreme weather

ATRI said the selected priorities are designed to address critical industry issues focused on “improving safety, enhancing driver health and wellness,” and understanding major operational challenges facing trucking.

Each of these topics matters, but one represents a major philosophical shift in how safety is measured and rewarded.

What Problem Would Beyond Compliance Solve?

Beyond Compliance could help solve a major problem in trucking safety: today’s systems often measure what went wrong, but they do not always give carriers credit for what they are doing right.

A future Beyond Compliance program could recognize carriers that can prove they are investing in safety before crashes, violations, or interventions occur.

That could include documented safety training, driver coaching, technology adoption, occupational health programs, stronger compliance controls, and measurable safety outcomes.

Why “Beyond Compliance” Matters Now

The reason this matters is simple: trucking safety remains a high-stakes issue.

Federal crash data continues to show that large truck and bus crashes have a major impact on roadway safety. FMCSA’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report tracks fatal, injury, and property-damage-only crashes involving large trucks and buses every year. NHTSA also continues to publish annual Large Trucks Traffic Safety Facts, including updated 2024 data.

For fleets, that means safety performance is not just a compliance issue. It is an operational, financial, legal, and reputational issue.

A carrier that waits until a violation, crash, audit, or claim happens is already behind.

ATRI first explored “Alternative Compliance” over 15 years ago. Since then, the industry has evolved dramatically:

• Safety technology adoption has surged
• Data analytics and telematics are now mainstream
• Driver health and wellness programs are more structured
• Insurance and litigation pressures have intensified

Yet, CSA scores and enforcement frameworks still largely measure minimum compliance, not proactive safety investment.

What ATRI’s Research Will Likely Explore

ATRI’s new research aims to close that gap by answering three critical questions:

1. What Should Count as “Beyond Compliance”?

Not all safety investments are equal.

ATRI will need to evaluate which practices actually reduce crashes, violations, risk exposure, or unsafe behaviors.

That could include:

• Which technologies and programs actually reduce crashes and violations
• Which practices are scalable across different fleet sizes
• How to define objective, measurable criteria

The key will be measurability. A program cannot simply reward carriers for buying technology. It must evaluate whether the technology is used consistently and tied to safety outcomes.

2. What Incentives Would Drive Participation?

Recognition alone isn’t enough.

For Beyond Compliance to work, the incentives must be strong enough to matter to fleet owners, safety directors, insurers, and executives.

Possible incentives could include:

• Improved SMS percentile rankings
• Reduced inspection frequency
• Favorable treatment in audits or interventions
• Potential insurance or regulatory benefits

The challenge is balance. FMCSA and the industry would need to create meaningful incentives without weakening safety oversight or allowing carriers to game the system.

3. How Could a Pilot Program Work?

A pilot program would need a clear methodology.

ATRI plans to develop a test framework that could eventually be implemented by FMCSA, including:

• A methodology for awarding safety credits
• A process for validating safety investments
• A system for monitoring outcomes and preventing abuse

This is critical because without a workable model, “Beyond Compliance” remains just a concept. With a strong pilot, it could become a practical model for modernizing safety evaluation.

The Compliance Trap: Why This Matters for Carriers

Most fleets today operate in what could be called a “compliance trap.”

They can:

• Meet every regulatory requirement
• Invest in safety technology
• Train drivers consistently
• Maintain strong policies and procedures
• Build a genuine safety culture

…and still feel like the system only notices them when something goes wrong.

That is because today’s safety measurement systems tend to focus heavily on violations, inspections, crashes, and enforcement data. Those inputs matter, but they do not always show the full picture of a carrier’s safety culture.

Beyond Compliance could shift the model toward something more balanced.

Instead of only asking, “What violations did this carrier have?” the industry could also ask, “What is this carrier doing to prevent violations and crashes in the first place?”

Minimum Compliance	Beyond Compliance
Meets required DOT standards	Exceeds minimum safety requirements
Reacts to violations and audits	Identifies risk before events occur
Tracks required records	Documents safety investments and outcomes
Focuses on passing inspections	Focuses on preventing crashes and violations
May not receive credit for proactive work	Could support future safety recognition or incentives

How Could Beyond Compliance Affect SMS Scores?

Beyond Compliance could affect SMS scores if FMCSA eventually creates a program that gives carriers credit for verified safety investments above minimum requirements. FMCSA has previously described possible recognition as including “credit or an improved Safety Measurement System percentile,” though no final program has been implemented yet.

What This Could Mean for Small and Mid-Sized Fleets

For small and mid-sized fleets, Beyond Compliance could be a major opportunity — but also a warning.

The Opportunity

Fleets that invest in proactive safety could finally see those investments reflected in how they are evaluated.

That may include carriers that already have:

• Dash cameras or AI safety systems
• Structured driver coaching programs
• Strong Driver Qualification File processes
• Regular internal compliance audits
• Documented corrective action procedures
• Occupational health and driver wellness programs
• Safety meetings and recurring driver training
• Clear accountability from ownership to front-line management

If Beyond Compliance becomes formalized, those investments could potentially support better safety scores, stronger shipper confidence, improved insurance discussions, and reduced enforcement pressure.

The Risk

The risk is that minimum compliance may become less competitive.

If the industry begins rewarding carriers that can prove proactive safety performance, fleets that only do the bare minimum may fall behind.

That gap could show up in insurance premiums, shipper selection, audit outcomes, driver recruiting, and long-term business growth.

In other words, Beyond Compliance could separate carriers that simply meet requirements from carriers that can prove they are managing risk.

How Can Fleets Prepare for Beyond Compliance?

Fleets can prepare for Beyond Compliance by documenting safety investments, tracking measurable outcomes, strengthening compliance processes, coaching drivers consistently, and building a proactive safety management system.

The most important step is documentation. If a carrier cannot prove what it is doing, how often it is doing it, and whether it is improving safety performance, it may not receive credit in a future Beyond Compliance model.

Where CNS Fits In

At CNS, we’ve been helping carriers operate “beyond compliance” long before it became a research priority. I am sure by now, you are aware of our Proactive Safety Management concept.

Our services already align with the pillars ATRI is evaluating:

• Driver Qualification File management supports stronger driver fitness standards
• DOT compliance programs create structured, auditable processes
• Occupational health services support driver wellness and fitness-for-duty
• Training and coaching support strengthens front-line safety performance
• Safety management support helps carriers move from reactive compliance to proactive risk prevention

The difference is simple: CNS does not just help carriers pass an audit. We help carriers build safety systems that can stand up to scrutiny.

If ATRI’s research leads to real incentives, that foundation will matter more than ever.

What Should Carriers Do Right Now?

Carriers do not need to wait for FMCSA to finalize a program. Smart fleets can start preparing now.

1. Audit Your Current Safety Investments

Identify what you’re already doing that could qualify as “beyond compliance.”

Look at your technology, training, driver files, health programs, safety meetings, inspections, maintenance processes, and corrective action procedures.

2. Document Everything

If it is not documented, it may not count.

Keep clear records of training, coaching, audits, driver reviews, corrective actions, safety meetings, medical qualification processes, and technology use.

3. Focus on Measurable Outcomes

Tie your safety programs to measurable results, such as:

• Crash reduction
• Violation trends
• Driver retention
• Inspection results
• Coaching completion rates
• Medical qualification compliance
• Claims frequency
• Unsafe driving events

4. Strengthen Your Safety Culture

Technology alone is not enough.

A true Beyond Compliance program requires process, accountability, leadership, driver engagement, and consistency.

5. Get Ahead Before Incentives Arrive

If Beyond Compliance becomes a formal FMCSA program, carriers with strong systems already in place will be better positioned than those trying to catch up later.

Ready to Build a Beyond Compliance Safety Program?

CNS helps motor carriers move from reactive compliance to proactive safety management. Whether you need help with DQF management, DOT compliance, occupational health services, driver training, or a full Proactive Safety Management® program, our team can help you build a system that is documented, defensible, and built for long-term safety performance.

These programs fit the most common companies in the transportation industry and all the DOT Compliance and Licensing needs that come with them

• PSM® Custom Program
• PSM® Motor Carrier Program
• PSM® DOT Essentials Program
• PSM® Short-Haul/Construction Program
• PSM® Safety Director Program
• PSM® Non-CDL Program

Beyond Compliance may be the future of fleet safety evaluation. But for proactive carriers, the work starts now.

Interested in building a stronger, more defensible safety program? Learn more by filling out the form below or clicking this link.