Transportation and logistics leaders are forging ahead in using artificial intelligence, but an increasing number are concerned that the industry is behind, according to a new survey from Penske.

According to Penske’s 2025 Transportation Leaders Survey: A Road to AI Adoption, 93% of senior business decision makers in the transportation and logistics industry agree that AI will improve their organization’s resiliency and ability to adapt to sudden shifts. 

More than nine in ten (91%) believe organizations that adopt AI are better positioned for future growth.

And in what marks a turning point for the industry, 70% of companies now report adopting AI solutions — up 17% from last year’s survey. 

Fleet executives cite improvements in fleet planning (36%), route optimization (35%), and operational efficiency (34%) among the top gains realized over the past year.

And 40% of respondents using artificial intelligence tools said they’ve seen improvements of at least 50% in fuel usage, cost reduction, or distance traveled through smarter routing and optimization.

Leaders also see gains in driver safety, customer satisfaction, and visibility across the supply chain.

Transportation and Logistics Leaders See Challenges in Adopting AI

However, 84% of executives in the survey believe the industry lags behind others in adopting AI — up 20% since 2024. And 36% feel only somewhat prepared for continued disruptions caused by AI. 

At the same time, concerns around AI’s risks haven’t diminished. 

Security risks (49%), limited regulation governing (36%), and fears of unethical use (35%) are top of mind among survey respondents.

The report also highlights a stark contrast between innovation and legacy mindsets:

• 94% of respondents still rely on traditional annual forecasting to guide fleet planning.

• 97% agree that benchmarking with real-time data is becoming essential to navigate economic uncertainty and sudden market shifts.

What Fleets Need from Artificial Intelligence Tools

These findings underscore the growing urgency for AI tools that deliver both visibility and measurable outcomes, Penske noted. (Penske offers an AI tool called Catalyst AI.)

While leaders recognize how AI can help future-proof their operations, many are still struggling to navigate current challenges, such as:

• Rising costs (52%)

• Supply chain disruptions (45%)

• Managing fleet operations (40%) 

More than half of respondents (54%) said the ability to compare their fleet’s performance to others in the same market would improve efficiency and operational decision-making. 

As they plan for today’s continued economic uncertainty, fleet leaders cited their most critical data needs as: 

• Visibility into maintenance costs (44%)

• Fuel price trends (41%), and 

• Fleet utilization (36%).

The transportation and logistics sector is moving past AI curiosity and into real-world applications. 

Survey Methodology – The second edition of The Transportation Leaders Survey: A Road to AI Adoption was conducted online by Big Village among a sample of 255 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older who are owners, founders, or executive leaders or decision makers of a Transportations or Logistics businesses. This survey was live April 16-23, 2025.