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Tuesday, February 17, 2026
7:00 a.m. ET
Contact: Rebecca Brewster (404) 247-8787
rbrewster@trucking.org
TENNESSEE CONTINUES TO RANK AMONG THE TOP IN THE NATION FOR TRUCK BOTTLENECKS
Washington, DC – Today, the American Transportation Research Institute released its 15th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America, and eight Tennessee locations made the top 100, including two in the top 20.
“Tennesseans rely on trucking to deliver everything from food and fuel to everyday goods,” said Tennessee Trucking Association President and CEO Donna England. “When congestion brings those trucks to a standstill, the entire state feels the impact. ATRI’s bottleneck analysis offers a clear roadmap for infrastructure investments that target the most critical chokepoints and keep Tennessee’s economy moving forward.”
The 2026 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 325 locations on the national highway system. The analysis, based on an extensive database of freight truck GPS data, uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location. ATRI’s truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. Department of Transportation Freight Mobility Initiative. The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list represent the top 100 congested locations, although ATRI continuously monitors more than 325 freight-critical locations.
The 8 Tennessee bottlenecks are:
• No. 7 Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)
• No. 19 Nashville: I-40 at I-65 (East)
• No. 30 Chattanooga: I-75 at I-24
• No. 34 Chattanooga: I-24 at US 27
• No. 37 Knoxville: I-40/I-75 at I-140
• No. 49 Nashville: I-65 at I-24
• No. 61 Knoxville: I-40 at I-275
• No. 67 Nashville: I-65 at SR 386
For access to the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, please visit TruckingResearch.org. ATRI is also providing animations created with truck GPS data for select bottleneck locations, all available on its website.
ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure, and efficient transportation system.