New AI technology, the rise of alternative power in fleets and the 3G shutdown are all part of facing advancements in telematics tech, according to David Brown, Associate Vice President of Sales (APAC) from Geotab.

New technology, both internal and external, and evolving truck fleets are necessitating quick responses and more learning from industry than ever before.

Geotab released its ‘2024 State of Commercial Transportation Report’ earlier this year, identifying the data insights that will help the telematics leader tackle the next 12 months.

“The 3G shutdown has almost pressed the reset button on the telematics industry,” David says.

“Everyone’s come to the table and not only looked at what technology they’re currently using, but also looking at how we currently use it.

“Could we be using the technology better in our in our fleet operations and what are we going move to if we are going move to another provider? Is it another solution, and how’s that going be sustainable and scalable for me for the next three, four or five years?

“People are also starting to ask about what we do when we get a lot of data. How do we use this data to make those easy, actionable decisions in my business for the better?”

For Geotab, this industry-wide move from old technologies to new means looking at how they can advance their own data solutions. This is where AI comes in.

Geotab unveiled Geotab Ace earlier this year, an AI copilot designed specifically for transport fleets.

“What we’ve done at Geotab through Geotab Ace is essentially make using data insights a lot easier for customers, helping them to make reports on operational data and efficiency in their fleet,” David says.

“You can put a question into the AI tool on the MyGeotab platform and ask it a question. It’s got be a specific question, for instance ‘show me which are the top five vehicles in my fleet which are idling too much’.

“That could take someone looking into it quite a while to navigate what to do. Whereas if you ask Geotab Ace the question, it comes through and will give you the top five, but it will also give you a link to a report you can go through to as well and physically see that.

“If you’re running a fleet of vehicles, it’s incredibly powerful to see how they’re performing. You can see if there’s any fault code information, if there’s any issues with battery health.

“We try and make it as easy as possible for the customers to use and implement and to get that data into making actionable decisions.

“It’s a real benefit to have AI because there’s so much information in there to use. It’s so important that people see the value in telematics.”