How And Why You Should Appropriately Use Your AI Data As A Trucking Business

The trucking business has witnessed a quiet revolution in its operations since the advent of Artificial Intelligence solutions. Still deemed a herculean task, fleet management, especially large ones, includes not only keeping a track of orders and deliveries but seemingly minor yet crucial tasks of arranging a convenient driver time-table, timely vehicle run-downs, and much more.

Earlier, these tasks were handled by the fleet manager and his team, but AI advancements have mechanized even these nuanced jobs, which has given a fillip to efficiency, accuracy, and time and cost management.

The integration of fleet telematics with supply chain management has reached considerable advancements, and the field is experiencing heavy research and development to further better our systems. The auto-AI industry is set to reach a net worth of almost 10.3 billion US dollars by the year 2030.

Artificial Intelligence was warmly welcomed in the industry, and although novel, progressive statutes such as the Electronic Logging of Data Mandate (ELD) necessitate fleet tracking systems, and therefore the use of AI in trucking, some companies are still going old school, especially in less advanced nations, which is adversely affecting competitiveness and profits.

Here we list out the raison d’etre for the wide acceptance and use of AI in trucking, why should every business, big or small, should make use of it.

Why Should I Use AI For My Fleet?

Let’s expand a bit on the many benefits which accrue to managers who use Artificial Intelligence for their trucking business.

1. Driver Training And Public Safety

You tend to change your behavior, mostly for good, when you know you’re under surveillance, and that’s one of the reasons why GPS systems enabled with AI elicit better driving behavior from aggressive drivers. New age GPS systems use AI for recording driving patterns such as excessive revving, hard braking, and flouting speed limits.

This is essential, for damages caused by negligent driving are an additional charge on the firm, and sometimes, settlements run into millions of dollars. Hence, AI is being used for driver training and public safety.

2. Improved Planning And Optimization

Trucking businesses are always looking to reduce operating costs, such as fuel costs and delivery time. Avant-garde GPS systems are paving the way for decreased expenditure by using AI for such purposes. Machine learning based on human cognitive techniques, cloud storage of historical travel data, and algorithms that use satellite photography synergize to analyze traffic data and present the most cost-efficient route.

The system generates the route which is free of road congestion, and is even smart enough to pinpoint oncoming hindrances, re-calibrate position, factor in target and delay, and suggest a change of route mid-way. The savings in terms of fuel and time that this technology offers is one of the foremost rationales why fleet managers are opting for smart GPS systems.

3. Online Record Keeping

Cloud computing allows AI-based Global Positioning Systems to save sensitive and exhaustive data from made journeys for analysis and record keeping. This data is used for charting new routes, as told above, and also help in legal compliance. Records prove to be of importance when there are disagreements on paychecks and overtime, and also when public lawsuits over damages ensue.

Online record-keeping also assists the saving of time and resources over cumbersome paperwork and stacking piles of files.

4. Autonomous Vehicles

Self-driving vehicles have driven themselves out of the realm of fantasy and rolled right up at reality. Driverless taxis have been operating in cities like Tokyo, and American companies like Google have been testing autonomous vehicle technology, while Tesla has introduced the ‘Autopilot’ function, which uses AI of parking, lane centering, among other things.

The ATA, American Trucker’s Associations, believe that the trucking industry could be understaffed by about 174,000 truckers in 2026. With 65% of global trade via road transport, and freight transport in the US alone ballooning to a whopping 20.73 billion by 2028, this makes a case for autonomous driving vehicles only stronger.

5. Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is a smart system that uses historical data analytics, vehicle particulars, and the Internet of Things (IoT), to advise routine vehicle checks. This system has come in place to preclude what is known as reactive and preventive maintenance.

IoT uses sensors to record and make sense of data such as vibrations, oil changes, thermal imaging, and other condition-based maintenance techniques.

Predictive maintenance minimizes costs by accurately planning visits to the service station, by preventing undue damage from overuse of vehicles and unburdens drivers of the nagging worry of maintenance. Maintenance cost reduction up to 30% and a significant increase in return on investment has been reported as the contribution of AI-powered predictive maintenance systems.

How Does AI For Transportation Work?

AI performs various functions like truck platooning, predictive maintenance, and accurate vehicle/delivery point positioning by using techniques like deep learning and natural language processing.

As of now, robotic operations on vehicles, officially termed as Advanced Driver Assisting Systems (ADAS) are segregated in five levels. Level 1 consists of functions like Active Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning System, and new, complex functions are added progressively, such as Park Assist in Level 2, Automatic Emergency Braking in Level 3, Traffic Jam Assist in Level 4, and finally, Autonomous Driving in Level 5.

Most dealers now offer vehicles with a lot of these features already built-in. However, one can also seek products like GPS fleet trackers, modified dashboards, and other AI equipment via OEM manufacturers.

Day by day, several firms are actively researching and testing Level 5 autonomous driving to make it a safer experience, and although some have implemented it, drivers are still present in the vehicle in case any system malfunctions.

Going The Tech Way

We hope that the arguments put forth above convince you of upgrading and equipping your fleet with the latest artificial Intelligence enabled technology. Advanced telematics renders fleet management and cost analysis a simpler and less demanding task. Keep up-to-date with the latest technology, and buy what best suits the size and nature of your fleets.