Artificial intelligence and autonomous operations are constantly improving, and this year is proof of that. FleetOwner's most-read technology pieces prominently feature artificial intelligence updates from telematics providers, such as Motive and Samsara, as well as autonomous freight updates from Kodiak, Torc Robotics, Volvo, and more.
10. Volvo’s VNL Autonomous fleet begins hauling freight for DHL in Texas
DHL Supply Chain, one of the most extensive logistics operations in the world, is moving goods with self-driving trucks in Texas through a new partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
Two purpose-built Volvo VNL Autonomous tractors powered by Aurora Driver technology began hauling freight for DHL (No. 62 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire) between Dallas and Houston on December 4. The companies plan to add more AV capacity between Fort Worth and El Paso soon. Read more...
9. AI and automation drive the next era of commercial vehicle safety
Fleet safety’s digital evolution is driving a powerful transformation in transportation. While new technologies promise to make roads safer, the pace of change can be overwhelming. For safety-focused managers, the emerging challenge is determining which tools are best suited for your operations and preparing for the future of fleet safety.
To address these contemporary challenges, FleetOwner reached out to several leading transportation technology providers to ask about the solutions fleets are underutilizing and to predict where commercial vehicle fleet safety is headed in the second half of this decade. Read more...
8. Practical AI tools in transportation management systems
Data has become overwhelmingly bountiful in the 21st century. Within the last decade, some of humanity’s smartest minds developed novel ways to utilize that data—not just through traditional software logic but with generalized inferences and predictive intelligence.
Enter machine learning, the field of artificial intelligence that is maturing at an incredible pace. Read more...
7. Autonomous trucking is more than autonomous trucks
Self-driving trucks aren’t a business, they’re a tool—albeit a tool that will be “transformative” for the movement of freight. For fleets and the supply chain, the key will be understanding autonomous vehicles—the opportunities and challenges—and shaping operations strategically, or so a panel of entrepreneurs explained here at the recent WEX Venture Capital Summit: The Future of Fleet Investment.
Indeed, the rise of AVs is no longer a futuristic concept but a present reality, reshaping the landscape of fleet management. From Waymo's increased rides in San Francisco to police departments in Texas practicing how to stop an errant autonomous tractor-trailer, the integration of autonomy into daily operations is underway. Read more...
6. How computer vision transforms fleet safety
One machine learning application is transforming how cameras can reinforce fleet safety: computer vision.
“Even though billions of dollars have been poured into AI investments generally, computer vision is arguably the only segment that was providing real, tangible, measurable impacts in ROI,” Nihar Gupta, product leader for Motive, told FleetOwner. Read more...
5. Samsara rolls out ‘biggest set of new product announcements ever’
While Samsara didn’t place prizes under each attendee’s seat as it did at last year’s conference (likely taking cues from Oprah), the trucking technology provider announced its “biggest set of new products ever” at the Samsara Beyond 2025 user conference here in sunny California.
“I've been out in the field with you and your teams learning about how this new technology can have the biggest impact on your operations,” Kiren Sekar, Samsara chief product officer, said during the conference keynote. “I can see that the potential is immense … We're making a big, big step forward today with the largest set of new product announcements we've ever made.” Read more...
4. Torc launches first autonomous trucking hub
CEO Peter Schmidt insists Torc Robotics is well ahead of its competition in the race to commercialize automated driving system technology for Class 8 trucks. The company intends to equip parent company Daimler Truck’s fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia tractors with Level 4 ADS systems for sale in the U.S. market by 2027.
“That may seem far away, but it really isn’t,” Schmidt told FleetOwner. Read more...
3. Survey ranks top technology providers and highlights key challenges for U.S. fleets
With the growth of AI and reliance on telematics for safety and compliance, technology is more important to fleets today than ever before; however, not all trucking technology is created equal.
Samsara and Endeavor Business Intelligence (a division of FleetOwner's parent company, EndeavorB2B) recently partnered on a study comparing fleet management technology providers. This study included a survey of over 500 fleet management professionals in the U.S., focusing on “the top challenges they face today, what they value most in technology, and how different fleet management technology providers compare.” Read more...
2. Kodiak goes commercial: Delivers first RoboTrucks to Atlas Energy’s private fleet
After successfully moving 100 loads of frac sand in driverless Kodiak Robotics trucks on West Texas desert roads, Atlas Energy Solutions now owns two Kodiak RoboTrucks, marking an autonomous trucking milestone. The energy company plans to add more RoboTrucks in 2025 as it scales up autonomous operations in the Permian Basin. Kodiak leaders said this month this opens a new era for autonomous trucking that will lead to on-highway RoboTrucks.
Atlas is the first company to add two Kodiak Robotics-powered RoboTrucks to its commercial fleet. The Class 8 tractor-trailers have operated without drivers on private roads spanning the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico since late last year, the two companies announced January 24. Read more...
1. Lidar costs for autonomous trucks are dropping fast
As trucks become more technologically advanced by the day, their prices grow. This is especially true as trucks incorporate more sensors to enhance their driver assistance and, eventually, automation.
A key piece of hardware in that sensor revolution has plummeted dramatically in price, however: the lidar system. Read more...
Along with these articles, FleetOwner publishes several popular annual features that garner attention throughout the trucking and transportation industries. These include our annual looks at the largest commercial transportation systems in the U.S., the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire and FleetOwner 500: Private Fleets.
Our annual profiles of women in the industry, Women in Transportation 2025, were published this summer. Each year, FleetOwner recognizes the transportation operations of private fleets with the FleetOwner Private Fleet of the Year award. This fall, we expanded and rebranded our annual New Models into the 2025 FleetOwner vehicle guide, our largest-ever look at the next generation of heavy-duty, medium-duty, light-duty, and alternative-powered trucks and vans.
We put a bow on the year with the 2025 Trucking By the Numbers feature, an info-graphical look at the facts and figures that make up the trucking and transportation industries.
To view what's ahead for FleetOwner in the new year, please check out our 2026 Media Kit.
About the Author
Jade Brasher
Senior Editor Jade Brasher has covered vocational trucking and fleets since 2018. A graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in journalism, Jade enjoys telling stories about the people behind the wheel and the intricate processes of the ever-evolving trucking industry.