Fleet industry leaders at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas Monday highlighted a "true transformation" in the trucking sector, urging companies to embrace data analytics and electrification to survive volatile market shifts.
The panel, moderated by David Carson, Senior Vice President at Daimler Truck North America, featured executives from Penske Truck Leasing, the City of New York, Hermann Services, and First Fleet. The discussion centered on how the industry is navigating a "chaotic" period defined by high fuel costs, a changing workforce, and rapid technological advancement.
Paul Rosa, Senior Vice President at Penske Truck Leasing (CCJ Top 250, No. 13), compared the current era to the birth of the motorized carriage. "We are in a true transformation," Rosa said. "I look back to 1890 when Gottlieb Daimler motorized the carriage—we are at that type of inflection point again."
Rosa emphasized that Penske's shift toward data-driven operations, specifically using its Catalyst AI system to compare fleet performance, has become essential for optimizing uptime and pricing.
For the City of New York, the transition to green technology is a matter of financial stability. Keith Kerman, the city’s Chief Fleet Officer, reported that soaring fuel prices have added $50 million to the city's expenses this year.
"There is pressure to ask why we are spending on EVs or hybrids now. My answer is that being dependent on fuel got us into this problem. I regret the EVs and hybrids I haven't bought yet," Kerman told the audience. He explained that New York met its 2025 greenhouse gas reduction goals early by using savings from electric vehicles to fund the use of renewable diesel in heavy-duty equipment like fire trucks and garbage trucks.
The panel also addressed the human element of the technological shift. Austin Henderson of First Fleet (No. 48) noted that the "tech stack" inside a truck is now a primary tool for driver retention in a competitive labor market.
Meanwhile, Jeff Herman, CEO of Herman Services, pointed to AI-integrated camera systems as a breakthrough for safety, significantly reducing accident rates by monitoring driver distraction.
"Real-time visibility through telematics is vital. Knowledge is power," he said. "Better-informed decisions create a more sustainable organization."
Despite the uncertainty, the panelists’ message to the industry was one of urgency.
"Don't let the perfection of an end-state be a barrier to progress today," Henderson said, encouraging fleets to take incremental steps toward modernization. Rosa added a final warning for those hesitant to invest: "If you wait, you'll find yourself so far behind in what you could do to improve your profit and efficiency."
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