Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing everything from search engines to robotics, and trucking is no exception. AI is helping managers at heavy-duty trucking fleets make smarter decisions, reduce downtime, and improve efficiency in areas ranging from predictive maintenance to route optimization.

But AI can be overwhelming, even scary. What exactly does it do? How can it help your trucking company? Is it something you should be concerned about?

To help answer these questions, we turned to two experts from Penske Transportation Solutions.

Tim Haynes, vice president of digital and customer data, and Sam Thompson, VP of customer success and fleet telematics, shared their insights during a recent Leadership Insights interview.

“A lot of people talk about AI like it’s some big, new thing,” Thompson said. “But the truth is, we’ve been using AI in trucking for quite a while — it’s just been working in the background.”

AI: A Powerful but Invisible Tool

AI isn’t just futuristic robots or self-driving trucks, she pointed out. It’s already part of our daily lives. If you use a smartphone, streaming service, or navigation app, you’re benefiting from artificial intelligence.

“The best AI is very subtle,” Thompson explained. “It’s behind the scenes, helping to automate tasks and sift through massive amounts of data. It’s there to help people be more efficient.”

In trucking, AI is being used to analyze data, predict maintenance needs, optimize routes, and improve fleet performance, among other things.

“The key thing to remember is AI isn’t replacing people — it’s assisting them,” Haynes said. 

“It’s just another tool, like a wrench or diagnostic software, that helps fleet managers and technicians do their jobs better.”

AI in the Shop: Smarter Maintenance, Less Downtime

One of the biggest ways AI is transforming trucking is in the maintenance shop. For years, fleets have relied on scheduled maintenance to keep trucks running. But what if a truck could tell you when it’s about to have a problem?

That’s exactly what AI-powered predictive maintenance is doing.

“Someone in our business years ago said he imagined a time when the truck could tell you when it was sick,” Haynes recalled. “That’s kind of what’s happening now. 

“AI looks at fault codes and patterns, then tells us, ‘Hey, this truck needs attention before it breaks down.’”

How AI Helps Pinpoint What's Really Urgent

Penske has been using AI for predictive maintenance for years, analyzing data from more than 400,000 pieces of equipment, so the company knows what it’s talking about.

Instead of just sending a long list of fault codes, AI can pinpoint what’s truly urgent.

“A lot of people talk about predictive maintenance, but some systems just overwhelm customers with data,” Thompson explained.

“We use AI to filter through the noise and say, ‘This is the real issue, and here’s what needs to be fixed.’”

AI is also helping technicians in the shop. Penske uses a system called guided repair, which gives technicians step-by-step recommendations.

“Our technicians get the best training, but even they can use a little help,” Thompson said. “AI helps them hone in on the problem faster and make the right repair the first time.”

Beyond the Shop: AI’s Role in Fleet Optimization

AI is also helping fleets operate more efficiently in other ways.

One major area is route optimization. AI analyzes data such as traffic patterns, weather conditions, and delivery schedules to suggest the most efficient routes.

“AI helps fleets plan better,” Thompson said. “It’s about keeping trucks on the road longer and using fuel more efficiently.”

Another application is fleet benchmarking. Penske recently launched Catalyst AI, a tool that allows fleets to compare their performance to similar operations.

Industry benchmarks, Haynes explained, are static and broad and may not apply to your particular type of operations. So a benchmark that says Class 8 trucks average 6.5 mpg, for instance, might not be realistic if you’re pulling heavy loads in the mountains.

Catalyst AI analyzes a fleet’s specific operating conditions, location, trip type, terrain, vehicle load, and so on, and compares it to similar fleets.

“This lets fleet managers see, ‘Am I running better or worse than similar fleets? And what can I do to improve?’” Haynes said.

AI is Only as Good as the Data You Feed It

Artificial intelligence relies on huge amounts of data to make predictions and recommendations. But if the data is inaccurate or messy, AI won’t work properly.

“When you’re building a model using AI, you need clean, accurate data,” Haynes warned. “If your data has errors, the AI will learn the wrong things — and you won’t get reliable results.”

Penske processes hundreds of millions of messages from trucks every day and runs more than 45,000 checks on that data to make sure it's accurate.

“We have to make sure we’re filtering out bad data,” Haynes explained. 

“For example, if a GPS signal briefly glitches and shows a truck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we know that’s wrong. AI has to be trained to ignore that.”

For fleet managers looking to get the most out of AI, the key is ensuring their data is accurate and well-organized.

“It’s the old saying — garbage in, garbage out,” Thompson said. “If you put bad data into an AI system, you’ll get bad results. But when the data is good, AI can be incredibly powerful.”

Instead of looking at artificial intelligence as something to fear, Thompson and Haynes suggested, look at it as another tool to help you be more successful. 

“As AI continues to improve, it’s going to help fleets run even better,” Haynes said. “But it will always work alongside people, not replace them.”

“It’s all about making trucking operations smoother and more efficient,” Thompson said. “And at the end of the day, that’s what every fleet manager wants.”