Motive launched a new automated artificial intelligence system Monday at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition designed to preemptively handle safety and operational risks.
The software, Agents, automatically processes data collected by fleets and industrial organizations to execute real-time responses. According to the company, the platform can initiate driver calls, generate work orders, and alert management the moment an issue is detected, reducing the need for manual oversight.
Motive is showcasing the technology this week at the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte.
Emily Parsons, Motive Agents product manager, said operations teams face a surplus of data but struggle to act quickly. Motive estimates that preventable issues, like equipment downtime, compliance violations and excessive idling, cost organizations $46 billion annually.
Data from the 2026 Motive ROI Report indicates that 42% of organizations view operational inefficiencies and administrative burdens as primary business challenges. While warning systems frequently flag these issues, resolution typically requires manual intervention from managers reviewing alerts and contacting personnel. Highlighting the sheer volume of redundant labor, Parsons noted, "Organizations spend an estimated 860 million hours on these types of tasks every year that can be easily automated."
The system operates around the clock, Parsons explained.
"It starts with what a manager wants to achieve: fewer collisions, less idling time, lower cost per mile," she said, "and from there, agents work across the entire Motive operation to take the right action at the moment, moving autonomously until that goal is achieved."
Early users say the automated platform could reduce administrative strain. Jared Whitson, senior director of safety and compliance for the Bennett Family of Companies, noted that safety management at scale frequently relies on manual reporting and cross-referencing, adding that Motive Agents allows his company to handle that work the moment something happens. "A one-time setup, and from that point forward the platform executes," he said.
Bennett Family of Companies currently is using four Motive Agents: Two of them are focused on safety events and designated as coachable events (including one for critical fault codes/telematics events and another for critical yard/truck-on-the-yard faults).
Functionality and capabilities
The platform allows users to configure automated workflows using pre-built templates or guided setups.
"It's really simple and only takes a few minutes to set up," Parsons said. "There's no technical expertise required. Teams can start with a guided workflow or build from the dozens of different templates that are already set up within the system."
Later this year, the system will integrate with Atlas, Motive’s conversational AI assistant, to place direct phone calls to drivers in their cabs when guidance is required. A natural-language feature enabling users to build custom agents through text prompts is scheduled for release early next year.
The system targets several key operational areas:
- Fatigue management: Detects early indicators of driver fatigue and utilizes Atlas to contact drivers, recommend rest stops, and brief managers when escalation is necessary.
- Severe weather routing: Monitors active routes for hazardous weather conditions, issuing advance warnings to drivers and suggesting alternate routes, reduced speeds, or stopping points.
- Maintenance automation: Automatically cross-references vehicle fault codes, explains severity levels, contacts drivers with instructions, and opens work orders within Motive Maintenance while temporarily taking affected vehicles out of service.
- Idling reduction: Flags excessive engine idling via AI Dashcam Plus while factoring in ambient temperatures to distinguish between necessary and wasteful operation.
Agents are available immediately to current Motive customers.
