Readers speak out on technology, say disconnected systems add frustration

Trucknews.com readers responding to our latest Pulse Reader survey say their biggest technology challenge isn’t a lack of software for fleet management, but having too much of it.

While respondents did acknowledge technology is improving operations in many areas, they overwhelmingly pointed to disconnected systems, information overload and poor integration as the biggest barriers preventing fleets from realizing its full potential.

Compliance and paperwork topped the list of operational challenges technology helps address, cited by 36% of respondents, followed closely by safety management at 33%. Asset tracking (24%), maintenance planning (23%) and dispatching and routing (21%) rounded out the top five. Just 15% said technology has not significantly improved their operation.

Yet, those benefits are being undermined by the complexity of today’s digital environment.

Forty-four per cent of respondents said they struggle with having too many separate systems, while the same share said those systems don’t integrate well. Another 41% complained about having too much unnecessary information that is hard to filter, while 38% cited both the upfront cost of technology and driver resistance to adopting the new tools. Training employees on new technology was selected by 34%

The written responses revealed a common theme: fleets want fewer platforms, better integration and technology that simplifies operations instead of adding another layer of complexity.

One reader who identified as a safety and compliance manager said, “too many software and hardware solutions are rushed into the marketplace without adequate testing and without full integration into legacy mainstay applications like Trimble TMS.”

Many respondents described having to switch between multiple disconnected systems, creating extra work rather than eliminating it. Others said existing platforms generate plenty of data but too little insight, making it difficult to turn information into action.

“The biggest unsolved operational problem we face is predictive maintenance at scale. We have sensors, telematics, and maintenance logs across our fleet, but none of these systems talk to each other in a way that actually prevents downtime — they just document it after the fact,” one reader wrote.

Another one added, “Technology has given us more data than ever, but not more foresight. We’re still largely reactive: a unit fails, we respond. The tools that promise predictive capability require clean, unified data pipelines that almost no real-world fleet environment has. The integration overhead alone often costs more than the downtime we’re trying to prevent.”

“We input a lot of data but getting it out can be a problem,” another respondent said. “A lot of systems have set reports, which is great, but if you need data that is not on that report or you want to consolidate data into one report you are in for trouble.”

Another recurring concern centered on automation. Some respondents worried that technology is eroding driver skills and is encouraging over-reliance on electronic systems, while others questioned if newer technologies are delivering meaningful improvements in reliability or maintenance amid their costs.

One company driver said today’s systems “react to situations that I’ve already reacted to,” while another referred to dashboard fatigue, saying that “technology has not made anything easier… it frustrates the drivers with all the alarms and driver-facing cameras.”

“The more technology that we have, the worse the driving experience is. There is too much technology on operating systems in trucks and also with drivers themselves. The ‘advance’ in technology has had a detrimental effect on the trucking industry,” another reader wrote. “There is a lack of ‘professional drivers’ who know how to skillfully handle the truck and trailer. Many drivers are not safety-conscious — the push for technology to police all of that has taken away the feeling of personal responsibility that truck drivers used to have.”

The survey also suggests that technology’s promise of reducing paperwork has only been partially realized.

Just 7% said paperwork has reduced significantly due to new technology adoption, while 46% said digital tools have somewhat reduced administrative work. Nearly one-quarter saw no noticeable change, and 17% said technology has actually increased their administrative workload.

Artificial intelligence tools remains in the early stages of adoption. About 43% of respondents said they already use AI-powered tools either extensively (8%) or in a limited capacity (35%), while one-third said they are not using AI at all and another 18% are considering it.

One self-identified safety and compliance manager said AI has been very effective at identifying risky behaviors and alerting drivers, but added that “the human factor is still the driver to behavior-based change.”

Privacy concerns, however, have not disappeared. Nearly four in 10 respondents said their concerns over AI-related data privacy have increased as telematics, cameras and AI-powered tools have become more common, while only 17% said they are now largely comfortable with the technology.

See full results of this survey and more in our July/August issue of Today’s Trucking.

Krystyna Shchedrina's work has been focusing on transportation and logistics since 2022, and she is an honors graduate of the journalism bachelor program at Humber College. Reach Krystyna at: krystyna@newcom.ca