Florida Trucking CEO Warns Diesel Costs Overtaking Driver Pay as Top Expense

Rising diesel prices have surpassed driver compensation as the largest operating expense for some Florida trucking fleets, Florida Trucking Association CEO Scott Perry said, warning that carriers without fuel surcharge arrangements face serious financial strain. Perry cited a roughly 70% year-over-year increase in fuel costs, which he said could be catastrophic for carriers unable to pass the expense to customers. Higher insurance premiums, equipment costs and driver wages are compounding the pressure, he said, describing the combination as "a negative margin business that can't be sustained forever." Perry said carriers are somewhat more optimistic on freight rates heading into 2027, but cautioned that improvement stems from tightening capacity rather than any real demand increase. Some shippers, he said, are attempting to roll back rate increases granted during the COVID-19 pandemic despite substantially higher operating costs. He warned that many carriers are delaying equipment replacement, and that a sustainable recovery must let fleets cover expenses and reinvest. Separately, Perry said Florida is adding 922 public truck parking spaces to roughly 2,100 existing ones, mostly along the Interstate 4 corridor.