Fleet maintenance is on the edge of a transformation, driven by artificial intelligence (AI). But integrating AI into your operations isn’t just about adopting the latest tech – it’s about ensuring your systems, people and processes are ready to support it. That’s the verdict from Patrick Tandy, managing director at Freeway Fleet Systems, who maintains the first step in embracing such solutions is to go fully digital.
“Real-time access to vehicle condition reports, defect notifications and maintenance records is essential,” adds Tandy. “A digitised platform not only boosts efficiency, but also provides the structured data that AI needs to deliver meaningful insights. For AI to work effectively, it must be fed with accurate, timely and detailed information.”
An integrated digital solution should cover the full spectrum of fleet management – from asset tracking and maintenance planning to parts inventory and defect trends. “Just like people, AI performs best with context,” says Tandy. “It learns by connecting the dots between usage history, component age, recurring issues and service intervals. Without that holistic view, AI is very limited.” One factor to consider is that even the most advanced AI tools require human direction. “Technology might be able to help when it comes to making big decisions, but it can’t replace strategic thinking,” says Tandy.
“For example, optimising for the lowest total cost of ownership might sometimes conflict with improving cash flow in the short term,” he states. “Similarly, prioritising vehicle uptime might come at the cost of overloading your maintenance teams, leading to higher labour expenses and potential burnout. By balancing objectives with clear overarching goals, you’ll ensure that AI is delivering the right insights to meet your needs, not just general recommendations.”
As AI evolves, new opportunities, but also risks, will emerge. Tandy believes there are three important factors to consider in this situation. “Firstly, your digital platform should integrate with cloud-based data warehouses and business intelligence (BI) tools,” he reasons. “This ensures you can adopt future AI innovations quickly and easily.
“Secondly, maintain transparency and control over how decisions are made. Always be able to review the data or logic behind AI-generated recommendations. Avoid ‘black box’ systems that obscure how conclusions are reached. The ability to trace, audit and adjust insights is essential.”
Thirdly – and finally – says Tandy: protect your data. “Make sure AI tools give you full control over how information is accessed and stored. Using your own API keys and ensuring your data isn’t harvested by third parties helps safeguard sensitive business information. AI won’t solve your challenges overnight, but with the right foundation, it can transform the way you manage your fleet,” he reasons. “By embracing digitisation, staying in control and leading with clarity, you’ll unlock the full potential of AI and set a new benchmark for fleet performance.”
TECH TAKEOVER
There is no doubt that the systems and innovations that are being used in fleet management in the transport sector are transformative. They are helping businesses to run smarter, greener and safer fleets as the commercial vehicle world undergoes a quiet revolution.
“What began with simple GPS tracking has evolved into a powerful suite of tools that connect vehicles, infrastructure and operations. From electrification to AI-powered decision-making, telematics solutions have become central to how transport engineers design and deliver efficient, sustainable fleets,” says Beverley Wise, regional director, Webfleet – who also recognises the impact of the integration of AI into fleet management platforms.
“Fleet operators can now interact with their data through natural language tools – asking questions about fuel consumption trends or driver behaviour and receiving immediate insights.”
Road safety is another area where AI is having an impact – ironically in preventing impacts. Video telematics systems equipped with machine vision can now detect risky driving behaviours – such as mobile phone use or tailgating – and issue real-time alerts to encourage self-correction. By supporting proactive interventions, these tools are helping fleets reduce incident rates and insurance exposure.
Meanwhile, fleet electrification gathers pace, fuelled by both regulatory drivers and environmental targets. “The transition, however, can bring operational complexity – including battery range management, charging logistics and vehicle suitability assessments,” warns Wise.
“In response, fleet management platforms can now offer dedicated EV planning and management tools. These systems can use existing fleet data to assess which vehicles are viable candidates for electrification, model total cost of ownership and recommend appropriate infrastructure.”
Webfleet provides depot charger monitoring solutions that offer a unified view of charger status, availability and performance across multiple sites.
Regulatory compliance continues to shape telematics innovation. Remote tachograph downloads and automated reporting are streamlining time-consuming tasks, helping operators stay compliant with drivers’ hours legislation.
Brake testing regulations are another area acting as a catalyst for change. Laden roller brake tests or electronic brake performance monitoring systems (EBPMS) are now the only accepted methods for assessing brake performance, with few exceptions.
As new standards came into force in April, some telematics solutions now include brake performance reporting capabilities. The Webfleet Brake Performance Report captures data from a trailer’s electronic braking system (EBS), providing fleet managers with real-time insights into brake status.
“Fleet management solutions have clearly become the digital backbone of HGV operations,” Wise states. “With ongoing advances in AI, automation and electrification, fleet engineers are gaining new opportunities to design transport systems that are not only smarter and more efficient, but also safer and more sustainable.”
APPROACH WITH CAUTION
For those who might not be quite ready to fully immerse themselves in the AI-equipped world, there are other upgrades that can be made to existing hardware to ensure fleets don’t get left behind completely.
“Increasing demands in data security and interfacing are seeing fleets rapidly move away from legacy software, with a tipping point occurring in the market away from older platforms that no longer meet the needs of commercial vehicle operators in 2025,” says Peter Golding, managing director, FleetCheck.
“There’s a tendency – and all businesses do it – to persist with an old IT system, putting in place a growing number of sticking plasters as it creaks to handle new needs, because the prospect of a replacement seems too difficult. However, what we have seen increasingly in the last few months is many fleets reach a moment of realisation that their aged software just can’t be made to meet today’s needs, however much patching is done.”
Golding believes some legacy systems bought 20-plus years ago cannot meet security standards needed and interface with modern systems. “But equally, commercial vehicle operators are also becoming increasingly aware of the potential of digitalisation to improve the performance of their fleet and want to maximise those opportunities. The only way to do that is with newer software,” he concludes.
