Does the Future of Trucking Lie in Combining AI With Cloud?

The trucking and transportation industry is at crossroads: business is booming, but there’s also a significant driver shortage. From truckload to LTL and final mile, fleets across the spectrum need efficiency-enhancing solutions that empower their planners, drivers, and managers. Avi Geller, CEO of Maven Machines, shares his thoughts.

Traditionally, fleets haven’t always relied on software and data to optimize processes. However, fleet management software and data can drive better results and increase revenue. They provide fleet managers with real-time information and the technological solutions that they need to make data-driven decisions.

The future of trucking relies on adopting AI and machine learning tech, which can be efficiently done with fleet management software. Thus, in the upcoming year, fleets are taking their processes to the next level: the cloud. What can the transportation, trucking, and supply chain industries expect after adopting this technology? Let’s find out.

Trucking Industry’s Move to the Cloud

We will see the digital transformation of fleets throughout 2021, especially as the driver shortage continues. If a fleet does not adapt, it will fall behind significantly. By moving to the cloud, planners can garner real-time insights into driver data, ensuring that pickups and deliveries are on-time. 

Additionally, messaging capabilities that are directly built into fleet management software platforms allow for constant communication between planners, managers, and their drivers. With real-time communication capabilities, notifications about traffic crashes and adverse weather conditions can be sent out to drivers from fleet managers and dispatchers. This can save time and money while also increasing customer satisfaction levels with efficient deliveries. 

To decrease planning time and optimize operations so that drivers can make more deliveries, fleets need to leverage real-time, cloud-based software and data. The demand for on-time pickups and deliveries is increasing each day, and the bar for fleets to compete successfully is getting higher.

AI and Machine Learning’s Impact on Planning

In the coming year, fleets will see increased planning capabilities with the continued evolution of route optimization — the ability to create and optimize routes instantaneously by incorporating AI, machine learning, and data into the route planning and dispatching process. AI and machine learning will make an enormous impact on the industry in route planning and optimization.

Now, AI-powered routes can be automatically generated for drivers with just one click of a button. In the future, machine learning algorithms will help us continue to create routes that are more specifically aligned with the driver’s skill sets and preferences. 

With highly optimized routes and fast but accurate route planning tools, managers and planners are free to accomplish other, more nuanced tasks. Ultimately, automated route planning tools save fleets, drivers, and planners time while driving revenue. 

More Technology Means Better Cybersecurity Efforts

With the digital transformation of driver management and the anticipated adoption of other AI-boosted technology, cybersecurity efforts will become an even larger priority for fleets in 2021. The trucking industry will need to continue to stay up-to-date on IT and digital transformation initiatives, and cybersecurity efforts will have to increase in the coming year. As with any industry, it takes years to recover from a data breach or cybersecurity attack, and fleets can’t afford to fall behind. 

Focus on Driver Retention

More fleets will incorporate drivers’ perspectives into adopting fleet management technology and digital transformation initiatives in the year ahead. Fleets should empower drivers with technologies like workflow tools. Ultimately, workflow software in the form of mobile apps for drivers and cloud-based portals for managers will improve driver productivity and help fleets reduce workforce churn. Due to the ongoing impact of the driver shortage, fleets must prioritize driver retention.

The trucking industry will see many changes in 2021, with the adoption of new technology being one of the most significant advancements. However, tech adoption in trucking must go hand in hand with other initiatives, like increased cybersecurity and driver retention efforts. To set all users up for success, fleets need to understand the power of AI-enabled software and the cloud, especially when it comes to route optimization. 

AI-enhanced fleet management solutions can help fleets set up plans specifically for drivers, simultaneously optimizing fleet operations. This technology trend will be a gamechanger for fleets and drivers, route planners, and dispatchers. By leveraging fleet management data and software, trucking fleets will have a much greater chance of success this year.

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