That is among headline recommendations of a research-based paper published at the recent Microlise transport conference at the Ricoh Arena.
'Delivering Growth: Servitisation within the Road Transport Industry' also calls for operators to do a cost-benefit analysis of servitisation, claiming long-term benefits outweigh short-term costs.
Additionally, the authors recommend that the government introduce financial incentives for industry investment in new technologies and provide clearer data legislation on the use and movement of data.
"The UK is a world leader in using new technologies across a range of industries," comments Des Evans, former CEO of MAN and Honorary Professor at the Aston Centre for Servitisation Research and Practice, which interviewed industry experts for the study.
"This is no different in the road haulage sector, where technology-enabled advanced services are helping organisations meet financial and operational challenges," he continues.
However, Evans insists that more needs to be done to get servitisation on the road. "We need greater investment from government, manufacturers and operators to ensure that we are using technology to get the very best out of our industry," he asserts.
Servitisation is defined an advanced service offering, provided by manufacturers to help fleets improve efficiency and safety while reducing costs by addressing some of the industry's main challenges.
Relevant technology and services range from real-time reporting on driving efficiency and vehicle performance, to route planning, analysis and delivery services.
"Servitisation technology allows both manufacturers and customers to identify where operations can be made more efficient, advise on optimisation and provide day-to-day service needs," enthuses Evans.
"By working in partnership with technology providers, manufacturers can develop greater capacity and ability to provide customers with the services they need."