Vignan Velivela, chief executive officer and co-founder of AtoB, lays out the most pressing challenges that companies are facing in managing their fleets, and the potential of data to make possible deeper insights into operations.

Logistics providers and trucking companies are facing deep uncertainty about the near future of their industry, as well as the economy at large, Velivela says. Yet despite this lack of clarity, there’s a sense of optimism, driven by expectations of growth in American manufacturing in the coming years.

Technology will play a key role in the transportation industry’s effort to adjust to changes in the market, he says. Underlying that initiative will be a reliance on intelligence. Trucking fleets generate an immense amount of data, Velivela points out. With that information in mind, they can greatly improve advanced planning around questions such as how and where to buy fuel, and improve equipment maintenance.

The adoption of modern technology involves a “difficult” transformation for an industry that historically has been slow to move in that direction, Velivela says. Twenty years ago, many balked at acquiring electronic logging devices (ELDs) for their trucks. But that attitude has changed. Today, “I don’t think any trucking company wants to get out of it.” Fleets have come to realize the value of ELDs in boosting safety and efficiency. It’s all part of a digital transformation that is well underway.

Access to data such as the cost of fuel, payroll and insurance equips fleets with the ability to optimize operations. Today, “how efficiently your fleet is running can be the difference between making margin and going out of business,” Velivela says. Technology such as cameras and other forms of telematics can help operators to reduce the cost of insurance and enhance safety. “These fundamental changes make fleets more resilient.”