AI and Data Reflections on Vehicle Connectivity from Geotab Connect 2026

Last month I joined thousands of fleet leaders, technology partners, and innovators at Geotab Connect 2026 in Las Vegas. After a few packed days of sessions, technology demos, and conversations across the expo floor, one thing was clear: the fleet industry is entering a new era. One where competitive advantage comes from the speed at which AI turns connected vehicle data into actionable insights. Following are a few takeaways that stuck with me.

AI Is Here to Make Fleet Leaders More Effective

Artificial intelligence was everywhere at Connect this year, but the conversation wasn’t about replacing people with automation. Instead, the focus was on making fleet professionals more capable by reducing friction.

Speakers emphasized that the best AI tools should feel simple and intuitive on the surface while delivering powerful insights behind the scenes. When done right, AI can eliminate the need to dig through endless dashboards and reports and instead deliver the insights that matter most.

Some emerging tools are even able to generate customized driver coaching automatically, turning telematics events like speeding or seatbelt violations into short, personalized training moments for that specific driver.

The real opportunity isn’t more data; it’s parsing existing data in a more meaningful way. For fleet leaders juggling safety, costs, maintenance, and operations, any technical edge to make them more efficient goes a long way.

The Fleet Technology Ecosystem Keeps Expanding

Walking the exhibition floor, it was clear just how much the fleet technology landscape has grown. The number of integrations, platforms, and connected solutions continues to increase rapidly. A few trends were particularly noticeable:

• OEM integrations are accelerating, bringing richer vehicle data sets directly into fleet platforms.
• Safety technology and cameras are generating deeper behavioral insights.
• Interoperability across software and hardware platforms is becoming essential as fleets connect multiple tools into a unified ecosystem.

For many managers, AI makes it easier to interpret large volumes of data, but bringing multiple technologies from different partners together into a cohesive view can be challenging.

Eye-catching Innovations

Several emerging capabilities offered a glimpse into where fleet technology is heading.

Smarter Asset Tracking – Advances in lower cost asset tracking are making it easier to monitor tools and smaller equipment alongside vehicles. By linking assets to specific trucks and flagging when items are missing, these approaches could help fleets reduce loss and improve accountability at scale.

Incentivizing Safer Driving – Fleet safety strategies are increasingly exploring incentive based models that reward positive driving behaviors. Rather than focusing solely on correction, these approaches aim to build safer habits through engagement and motivation. Technology can flag risky behavior instantly, but lasting change still comes from coaching and engagement between safety leaders and drivers. Gamification solutions that surfaced years ago are seeing new more streamlined twists with deeper partner integrations.

AI That Actually Helps You Use the Data – One of the most talked-about innovations was AI driven assistants designed to translate telematics data into plain language answers, helping fleet managers quickly understand what’s happening across their fleet without digging through dashboards. A fleet manager can simply ask what’s driving recent speeding events or maintenance alerts to access an explanation immediately.

Reminder that Leadership Engagement Always Matters

While technology dominated most of the agenda, one breakout session focused on something equally as important: how leaders help their teams navigate rapid technology change. An idea from that session stuck with me: people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. The session outlined a simple framework for guiding teams through transformation:

• Be clear about who is making decisions and how.
• Communicate early and often, even if plans evolve.
• Understand the “what’s in it for me?” perspective for individuals.
• Bring optimism and stability during change.

In a moment when fleet technology is evolving so quickly, that reminder feels especially relevant.

Connecting with Clients and Partners

Conferences are about more than technology – they’re about relationships. This year we had a fantastic Wheels team on the ground. We spent the week meeting with clients, exploring new technologies, and sharing perspectives on where fleet management is heading. I also connected directly with many OEMs to discuss how to fast-track enhancements such as digital key capabilities.

I left genuinely energized about where this aspect of the fleet industry is headed. AI is making it easier than ever to simplify the complexity of data overload, helping fleet leaders make better decisions faster.

As the fleet industry continues to evolve, the conversations I had reinforce how important it is to translate technology innovation into real operational results. At Wheels, we’re focused on helping clients do exactly that – turning AI-driven insights and connected fleet technologies into practical strategies that improve safety, efficiency, and performance. If you’re exploring how to get more value from your fleet data, we’d welcome the conversation.