NEWS & REPORTS

ATRI releases research on key telematics performance measures

Sep 11, 2026 | Industry News

The findings show that the metrics with the greatest impact are not always the most widely used.

 

Key takeaways

  • ATRI research examines which telematics metrics matter most to motor carriers.
  • Fleets may benefit from reassessing how they use telematics performance data.
  • Telematics data can give fleets another way to evaluate safety, maintenance, and operations.

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ATRI research identifies high-value telematics KPIs for motor carriers

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) recently released new research identifying the telematics measures and functionalities most important to motor carriers for improving safety, operations, and maintenance.

The report, From Telematics Data to Decisions: High-Value Performance Metrics for Trucking Operations, found that cost per mile received the highest importance score in the operations category, but only 73% of respondents reported using it. The KPI gap analysis provides fleets and telematics providers with a framework for focusing on the KPIs that matter most.

For safety-related KPIs, the four most widely adopted metrics were critical events, speeding, risky driving behavior, and hard braking.

“This research identifies the performance metrics that fleets find most valuable and highlights those that, for some carriers, deserve more consideration,” said Robert Braswell, executive director of the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC). “The report gives carriers a practical guide for evaluating what they currently measure versus what they ought to measure to improve safety, maintenance, and operations.”

What this means for the trucking industry

The findings give fleets a way to compare the telematics metrics they currently use with those considered most valuable. That comparison can help fleet executives identify where existing telematics data may better support safety, maintenance, and operational decisions.

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