6 Trends That Will Define the Future of Truck & Trailer Connectivity

The following is an excerpt from our eBook: 6 Trends That Will Define the Future of Truck & Trailer Connectivity.

Overcoming a Challenging Environment

The current state of trailer connectivity can be summed up in one word: inefficient. There are millions of active players in this space, each with their preferred OEMs, trailer technology, and connectivity systems. Let’s take a look at the numbers.

More specifically, there are:

4.6 million active trailers on the road
3.5 million Class 8 trucks that haul those trailers
1.2 million trucking companies (fleets)

These 1.2 million fleets own and operate that equipment, with 97% of them operating fewer than 25 trailers. This level of market fragmentation makes it difficult to affect global change across the market. It also makes it challenging for these providers to adopt new advancements in connectivity technology.

Compounding the issue of fragmented ownership groups is the fact that the average trailer spends about 75% of its time detached from trucks, which means it is unpowered and unconnected for most of its lifespan. Additionally, trailers are nomadic by design – roaming the nation from job-to-job/fleet-to-fleet – making it difficult to update existing connectivity mechanisms systematically. Fleets are also burdened by technical debt incurred by outdated and non-standardized communication systems.

But, the landscape is changing. There is no space in the new world of autonomous trucks, electric vehicles, and always-on 5G connectivity for a technology that has remained relatively unchanged for more than seven decades. The connectivity landscape will need to evolve to meet the market’s future demands. For fleet owners, this paradigm shift in technology represents an opportunity to expand their footprint and secure their position in the changing market.

Here are the six key trends we see impacting the future of truck and trailer connectivity: