Survey gauges carrier opinions on freight technology
A survey of more than 500 carriers revealed over 60% of participants are optimistic about the future of freight technology.
Truckstop.com conducted the survey, which gauged opinions on emerging technology designed for fraud prevention and route optimization. Comfortability with artificial intelligence was also part of the survey.
“What we found is that carriers are adopting technology faster than ever, and they’re seeing the results,” said Todd Waldron, vice president of carrier experience at Truckstop. “From stronger fraud prevention to smarter routing, tools like the ones we’re building are giving carriers more confidence and control over their operations.”
Nearly 70% of carriers responding to the survey said they are comfortable using new tools and technologies. Among those under 35 years old, that percentage jumps to 79%.
Over half said fraud prevention has “significantly improved” because of new technology.
User interfaces, mobile apps and enhanced filtering have improved load boards, according to survey participants who utilize them.
Looking forward, respondents said emerging technology, load availability and fuel costs will be the biggest influences across the trucking industry over the next five years.
As far as where artificial intelligence can fit into trucking, carriers listed route optimization, dispatch and predicative maintenance as their top three options.
“What’s exciting about our findings is that they suggest trucking is becoming more open to the kinds of ongoing innovations that deliver real value to the men and women behind the wheel,” Waldron said. “Whether we’re talking about electronic logging devices and transportation management systems or AI-powered telematics and predictive maintenance, we’re seeing rapid acceleration in an era where we expect to see big advances that truly benefit the carriers we serve.”
Carriers were also questioned about the current state of trucking, with 41% saying the industry is better than when they started.
However, respondents noted road quality, rate strength and finding reliable drivers as current shortcomings.
The most notable changes carriers said they have seen are driver compliance rules, regulatory shifts and technological advancements.
All things considered, 60% of survey respondents said they feel optimistic about the next five years in trucking. LL