Commercial fleets are investing heavily in telematics technology to improve driver safety, but many are struggling to translate the flood of data into meaningful action.
A new survey of 300 risk managers at small and mid-sized fleets from Travelers division Northland Insurance found that nearly half of respondents face challenges turning telematics insights into actionable coaching or safety improvements.
Specifically, 49% of mid-sized fleets and 43% of small fleets reported difficulty using telematics data to drive measurable safety outcomes.
The findings highlight a growing gap in commercial auto insurance. Fleets are buying the telematics technology, so why aren’t drivers getting safer?
“Telematics is more available, cheaper, and more scalable than ever,” said Michael Fackler (pictured), technical director of transportation risk control at Travelers. “Ninety percent of the risk managers we interviewed said they’re confident they can use this data, but less than half say they actually do something with it. That tells you it’s not a data problem. It’s something else.”
The survey found that data overload remains a key challenge. About 45% of small fleets and 42% of mid-sized fleets said they have too much information without clear direction on how to use it effectively. Fackler said many companies make the mistake of investing in telematics technology before determining how they will operationalize the data.
Another common pitfall is trying to monitor too many behaviors at once. Modern telematics platforms can track dozens, even hundreds, of driving events and notifications, from speeding and hard braking to distracted driving and idle time.
Instead, he advised fleets to focus on a handful of key metrics that align with their operational risks and management capacity. Hard braking and speeding violations, for example, are widely recognized as leading indicators of unsafe driving behavior.
Still, the most effective metrics can vary depending on the fleet’s operating environment. Urban delivery fleets may face different risks than long-haul trucking operations, making a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective.
“Organizations need to lead on this issue,” Fackler stressed. “They can’t just think, ‘Hey, we bought the technology, so outcomes should improve.’ It’s about how you talk about the data, how you empower frontline leaders to discuss it with drivers, how often you review it, and how you motivate people.”
The survey also highlighted an ongoing challenge around driver trust. While more than 95% of drivers were reportedly open to safety initiatives, nearly half of fleet managers said drivers remain hesitant to trust telematics data.
This distrust often stems from concerns that telematics systems are being used primarily for discipline rather than support, Fackler said. “Drivers are skeptical because they wonder whether the data is going to be used to evaluate them fairly, or whether it’s going to be used to punish them,” he told Insurance Business.
As a result, fleets that rely heavily on penalties and disciplinary action may struggle to build lasting engagement around safety programs. Only 38% of survey respondents said punitive measures effectively motivate safer driving behavior.
“Messaging is another issue,” said Fackler. “How do you communicate to drivers that this is a tool to support them, not punish them? This isn’t Big Brother coming in. It’s a tool to drive outcomes and help everybody get home safely at night.
Recognition and positive reinforcement, by contrast, appear to have a stronger influence on safety culture. Nearly two-thirds of small fleets (61%) identified driver recognition programs as the most effective tool for building a safety-oriented workplace culture.
“If you look at what motivates people, recognition beats punishment every time,” Fackler said. “You can’t buy your way to a better culture. You have to lead by example, engage with people, build trust, and reinforce the behaviors you want.”
The findings also suggest that technology has not diminished the importance of face-to-face engagement. Respondents ranked in-person training as the most effective method for building a safety culture, ahead of digital tools and automated alerts.
For Fackler, that signals something broader about organizational commitment. “You’re pulling people off the road, which costs real money, and you’re having leaders come in to talk about these issues,” he said. “Drivers see that leadership truly values safety.”
As fleets continue to adopt telematics solutions, brokers may increasingly be called upon not only to discuss technology adoption but also to help clients think strategically about implementation, coaching, and organizational culture.
Fackler said Travelers’ transportation risk control team works closely with insureds to define goals, identify priority behaviors and establish formal response plans for telematics alerts. Rather than acting as direct driver coaches, Travelers’ consultants help fleet operators develop internal processes and leadership strategies that support long-term behavioral change.
“We’re teaching people how to fish,” Fackler said. “We’re challenging organizations to take ownership of safety and showing them the methods and tools to do that.”
