David Correll

David Correll serves as a distinguished Research Scientist and Lecturer at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, where he has made significant contributions to understanding and improving the American trucking industry. As Co-Director of the MIT Freight Lab, he spearheads the Driver Initiative, a comprehensive research program investigating truck driver retention, utilization, and quality of life. His groundbreaking research has revealed crucial insights about the trucking industry, notably discovering that truck drivers typically utilize only 6.5-7 hours of their permitted 11 daily driving hours, highlighting significant systemic inefficiencies. His expertise extends to educational leadership, where he teaches SCM.291 Procurement Fundamentals on campus and leads SC4x Supply Chain Technology & Systems in the MITx MicroMaster's program in Supply Chain Management. His research has been particularly influential in policy circles, leading to his testimony before Congress about trucking industry challenges. His work has been instrumental in reshaping perspectives on the trucking industry's challenges, suggesting that the solution lies more in improving software systems and efficiency rather than simply adding more drivers to the workforce. Currently, he has taken on the role of Deputy Director for Research at the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure & Policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he continues to influence transportation policy and industry practices.