New ATRI Report Shows How Fleets Use Truck Telematics

Truck telematics systems can collect much more information than truck location and hours-of-service data. A new report from the American Transportation Research Institute examines how motor carriers use that information to measure safety, fuel use, maintenance, detention, and other parts of trucking operations.

The September 2026 report, From Data to Decisions: Trucking’s Use of Telematics Data to Improve Performance, examined 44 key performance indicators, or KPIs. ATRI divided those metrics into three categories: safety, operations, and maintenance.

The research included responses from 111 motor carriers. ATRI also gathered information from six telematics technology providers.

For truck drivers, several findings provide a closer look at the types of information fleets are collecting and how carriers report using that data.

Truck Telematics Are Heavily Used for Safety Metrics

Safety was the most established area of telematics use identified in ATRI’s research.

In fact, all 10 of the highest-ranked telematics KPIs in the report were safety-related. ATRI identified them as:

• Critical events
• Speeding
• Risky driving behavior and trends
• Hard braking
• Driver distraction
• Changes in behavior following coaching
• Positive driving behavior and trends
• Crash rates
• Missed Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports
• Sudden lane departures

ATRI said the results suggest that telematics data collection in trucking has historically been driven significantly by safety management goals. While telematics systems now support operations and maintenance uses, the report found that industry utilization remains concentrated on safety performance.

The survey also found widespread use of several driver-related safety metrics. Critical events and hard braking were each tracked by 92.8% of respondents. Speeding was tracked by 91%, while harsh turning or cornering was tracked by 90.1%.

Risky driving behavior and trends were tracked by 88.3% of respondents. Among carriers that used the metric, it received the highest importance score of any safety KPI studied.

Driver Distraction Ranks High in ATRI Survey

Driver distraction was another highly rated safety measurement in the report.

It received an importance score of 4.24 out of 5, ranking third among the safety metrics. Among respondents using driver-distraction data, 84.6% rated the metric either “very important” or “critical.”

However, its use was lower than several other safety measurements. ATRI found that 82% of respondents used driver-distraction data.

Telematics providers surveyed by ATRI also reported that carriers use safety data for driver risk scores, critical-event monitoring, coaching, and proactive safety alerts. Those providers reported that safety compliance practices combined with programs rewarding measurable driver skills and improvements reduced risky driving behaviors within individual fleets.

Truck Telematics Also Measure Fuel and Detention

The report found that telematics data is also being used for operational measurements.

Fuel use and miles per gallon had the highest utilization among operational KPIs, with 88.3% of respondents using that metric. Idle and dwell time followed at 86.5%.

Driver miles or driver utilization was tracked by 71.2% of respondents. Detention time was tracked by 73%, while loaded versus empty miles were measured by 67.6%.

Cost per mile received the highest importance score among operational KPIs, although 73% of respondents reported using it. ATRI noted that tracking cost per mile can help carriers identify potential savings and determine whether freight is profitable.

Technology providers surveyed for the report also said carriers have used telematics to manage available HOS, reduce deadhead miles, and improve equipment and load utilization.

The findings show the range of driver and vehicle information included in fleet performance measurements. In addition to safety events, the report examined metrics related to productivity, fuel efficiency, detention, and equipment use.

ATRI Identifies Opportunities in Maintenance Data

Maintenance presented a different picture in the report.

ATRI found that maintenance KPIs were generally used less often than safety metrics, even though several received relatively high importance ratings.

Preventive maintenance scheduling was the most widely used maintenance metric at 77.5%. Engine health was monitored by 71.2% of respondents, while defect or fault diagnostics were used by 73%.

Tire and brake health was tracked by 52.3% of respondents. ATRI identified this as an example of a metric with a notable difference between its reported importance and industry utilization.

The report also found that 48% of respondents did not integrate telematics with maintenance management software. ATRI identified missed preventive maintenance, engine health, and defect or fault diagnostics among its top opportunities for greater telematics adoption.

Technology providers surveyed by ATRI reported success with integrating Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports into telematics platforms. They also identified predictive maintenance and fault-code diagnostics as tools fleets have used to schedule maintenance and reduce equipment downtime.

Smaller Fleets Use Different Systems

ATRI also found differences based on fleet size.

According to the report, larger carriers tended to use transportation or fleet management systems to automate and integrate information. Smaller fleets were more likely to rely on manual methods.

About 52% of respondents used a transportation management system, or TMS, to dispatch drivers. Another 21% used texting or phone calls.

The median fleet using texting or phone calls for dispatch had 35 trucks, compared with a median of 180 trucks among carriers using a TMS for dispatch.

ATRI also found that 14% of respondents did not use a fleet management system. Those carriers had a median fleet size of five trucks.

ATRI Notes Challenges With Growing Amounts of Data

The report also identified challenges associated with telematics.

Technology providers cited data overload, limited IT capacity, and difficulties sharing information across company departments. They told ATRI that fleets need employees with the technical skills, resources, and time to manage and interpret the information.

Some providers also reported that fleets may hesitate to invest in telematics because they are uncertain whether the benefits will outweigh the costs.

ATRI concluded that trucking has broadly adopted telematics for safety management, while maintenance and operational applications have more room for expanded use. The report identified preventive maintenance, engine health, diagnostics, and cost per mile among areas where additional adoption could occur.

For truck drivers, the report provides a snapshot of the types of information many fleets currently measure. It also shows how telematics systems are being used for purposes ranging from driver safety metrics to fuel consumption, detention, vehicle health, and maintenance planning.