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8 min read
Anthony Mainville
Feb 26, 2025 3:48:54 PM
The highly anticipated Geotab Connect 2025 opened its doors yesterday with a record attendance of over 4,000 participants from around the world, including the AttriX delegation accompanied by its Canadian clients. This flagship event for the transportation industry is taking place this year in the enchanting setting of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, a venue that inspired Mike Branch, Vice President of Data and Analytics at Geotab, to draw a relevant parallel with the company's vision.
The conference began with a celebration, marking Geotab's 25th anniversary. Mike Branch opened his speech by referencing Walt Disney's concept of "Imagineering," the fusion of imagination and engineering that so aptly characterizes Geotab's philosophy:
"Geotab will never be complete, as long as there is imagination in this ecosystem."
This statement set the tone for an event where innovation and collaboration take center stage. Branch recalled the journey since Geotab's modest beginnings 25 years ago, mentioning the first "Geotab paddle," predecessor to current devices, which then required manual downloading of data via a USB key.
What particularly stands out from the opening speech is the emphasis on the human impact of technology. Beyond the impressive figures (4.7 million connected vehicles and 55,000 customers), Geotab focuses on its ability to "deeply touch people's lives." Branch illustrated this philosophy with several concrete examples, notably that of Greg from Brown Dog Carriers, who multiplied the size of his business eightfold thanks to support from the Geotab ecosystem.
Safety emerged as a major theme of the conference. Branch emphasized that customers actively using Geotab's safety products experience on average 40% fewer collisions. He also shared a poignant anecdote about a Schindler Elevator technician whose life was saved thanks to the Geotab platform, which allowed the employee in distress to be located when he didn't show up for work.
Other examples of Geotab technology use in extreme conditions were presented, including with the British Antarctic Survey in Antarctica and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline crossing difficult mountainous terrain. These cases demonstrate the reliability of Geotab solutions for ensuring worker safety in hostile environments.
A major strength of Geotab lies in its ecosystem of partners, which multiplies the impact of each solution. Branch particularly highlighted the collaboration with DriveWise, which offers weigh station bypass solutions for truckers, allowing them not only to make additional trips before their service hours expire but also to return home earlier to their families.
A highlight of the presentation was the screening of a video featuring three sisters, Linux, and Argos, illustrating how in-vehicle camera solutions can exonerate a driver wrongfully accused of an offense. Branch emphasized that "while we are strong individually, we are much stronger together."
Geotab's influence now extends beyond individual fleets to touch entire communities. Branch cited the example of the Citizens' Insights portal, which allows residents to see which roads have been cleared of snow in their city, facilitating their daily travels.
Geotab solutions also support social initiatives like Second Harvest and City Food Bank, which optimize their operations to maximize every donation dollar received. In the event of natural disasters, the Geotab platform helps rapidly deploy resources, as during the ice storm in Austin in 2021.
Branch also highlighted how large-scale data can influence decisions at the macro level. In Toronto, data from Altitude (Geotab platform) revealed the negative impact of a highway narrowing on the productivity of commercial fleets, leading to a $73 million investment to improve the situation.
In concluding his speech, Branch affirmed that we are "at the very beginning of this AI revolution, which is poised for hypergrowth." He reiterated Geotab's commitment to technical innovation while maintaining trust at the heart of its ecosystem.
Neil Cawse, founder and CEO of Geotab, took over to present a comprehensive update on the current state and future prospects of the company. He confirmed Geotab's position as market leader with 4.7 million subscribed vehicles across 55,000 customers, and highlighted the company's recent recognition as the top telematics provider for the fourth consecutive year by ABI Research.
Cawse addressed several crucial trends shaping the industry:
Sharing revealing statistics, Cawse indicated that only 1.7% of the Geotab fleet (about 90,000 vehicles) is currently electric, with 1% penetration in the US and Canada, compared to 8% in Europe. He acknowledged the current challenges of electrification:
"Unfortunately, there isn't a suite of good commercial electric vehicle options available, especially on the energy side."
However, he highlighted the potential economic benefits, including a 30% reduction in maintenance costs for commercial electric vehicles. In the meantime, Cawse reminded that route optimization can save between 10% and 50% on fuel, offering a pragmatic approach to sustainability.
Regarding autonomous vehicles, Cawse adopted a realistic stance:
"Five years ago, we were told that by now we'd be driving around in AI cars, and this has not happened."
Although he considers autonomy inevitable in the long term, with Waymo leading the race according to him, he believes we are "still many years away from autonomous commercial vehicles." This observation reinforces the importance of focusing on the well-being of current drivers.
AI featured prominently in Cawse's speech. He explained how AI excels at identifying patterns in data and mastering real-time data. He gave the example of Geotab's AI that can automatically recognize the type of vehicle based on its behavior and accurately predict accident risk.
Cawse predicted a fundamental shift in the balance of power thanks to AI:
"AI agents will be able to keep those two perfectly in sync with each other... Fleet managers will have a co-pilot that will change the way we work."
He also shared pertinent advice: "People who don't use AI will lose their jobs to those who do use it."
Cawse proposed a clear methodology for effectively using technology in operations:
He particularly emphasized the importance of Geotab's "data flywheel," where data continuously improves to build better AI, which in turn improves products.
A major challenge addressed by Cawse concerns the driver shortage. He mentioned that in the US, the deficit was estimated at 60,000 drivers by late 2023, with a projection potentially reaching 160,000 by 2030. He also highlighted the aging workforce, with the average age of truck drivers approaching 50.
This shortage also extends to diesel technicians and mechanics, creating a two-dimensional challenge for the industry.
The last part of the conference, presented by Sabina Martin, Vice President of Products at Geotab, unveiled several new features and products that promise to transform fleet management.
Geotab announced new global OEM integrations, including with Volvo Cars globally, Kubota in North America (Hyundai coming in April), as well as Volkswagen and Kia in Europe. Martin particularly highlighted the partnership with Kia:
"I'm particularly excited about the Kia partnership where Geotab software will be running on Kia commercial vehicles globally to provide their customers with telematics solutions out of the box."
Cawse added that, although OEM integrations are progressing, there are still significant differences in terms of data quality and frequency between OEM solutions and Geotab's dedicated hardware. He also expressed concern about restrictions on OBD port access by some manufacturers.
Martin presented the improvements made to Go Anywhere, Geotab's asset tracking solution launched in North America last year. Updates include:
Geotab has enhanced its Data Connector to allow seamless integration with popular analytics tools like Power BI and Tableau. Vic, a member of the Geotab team, demonstrated the new features, showing how to easily access Data Connector in myGeotab and leverage the new available templates and datasets.
In response to customer feedback on the complexity of myGeotab, the interface has been significantly improved. Changes include:
Geotab has launched a Cold Chain solution that enables fleet managers to monitor and control cargo temperature during transportation by interfacing directly with refrigeration units.
Another important novelty is the CARB Clean Truck Check solution, making Geotab the first and only telematics provider to offer a solution that complies with program requirements for all vehicle types. This feature is particularly important for vehicles traveling in California, which must perform verified emissions checks twice a year.
Geotab has integrated secure truck routing capability into its route optimization product. This feature allows drivers to select between car or truck routing, and indicate if they are transporting hazardous materials. The system takes into account road restrictions and bridge height limitations for trucks.
For public works departments, Geotab presented its Citizen Insight Solutions, which enable tracking of vehicle location, service times, and material usage to optimize snow clearing and road maintenance operations. This information can be shared with citizens via public websites.
For the rental and leasing sector, Geotab presented its enhanced Keyless solution and announced the addition of Keybox to this family. Available in beta with general availability planned for the second quarter, Keybox simplifies the installation process by eliminating the need for soldering. Customers can unlock their vehicles directly from their phone via the Geotab Drive app.
Following the early adoption program launched last year, Geotab ACE, a conversation tool powered by generative AI in myGeotab, is now available to all customers in the US, Canada, and Europe. Notable improvements include:
The user interface has also been enhanced with categories of common questions.
To help fleets manage fuel costs and reduce emissions, Geotab has launched the Sustainability Center. This solution allows visualization of fuel consumption and emission trends, comparison of different departments or locations, and identification of improvement opportunities such as reducing excessive idling.
For electric fleets, Geotab has created the EV Charge Monitor which displays the real-time status of electric vehicles and helps manage charging efficiently. This tool is particularly useful for fleets that have more vehicles than charging stations.
Geotab has developed a model that automatically detects unplanned downtime events, allowing fleets to understand the frequency of these events and optimize their maintenance programs. A 2024 study revealed that out of 3.2 million active vehicles, 1.45 million experienced total downtime, representing 10.7 million days of immobilization.
To help prevent this downtime, Geotab has also launched a comprehensive work order management system directly integrated into myGeotab. This solution allows configuration of schedules based on time, distance, or engine hours, and efficient management of work requests and orders.
One of the most significant announcements concerns Go Focus, an economical video sensor that offers 90% of the benefits of a full camera solution for a fraction of the price. This solution, which prioritizes driver privacy, focuses on precisely measuring following distance to detect risky behaviors such as tailgating.
Cawse explained the unique approach of Go Focus:
"Instead of directly monitoring driver distractions, we observe the effects... The outcome is the same, a temporarily too close following distance."
In the event of an accident or incident, Go Focus automatically extracts the video and makes it available in myGeotab. The driver can also press a red button to signal a problem.
To complement the safety improvements, Geotab presented Driver Risk Insights, a new feature that allows drivers to visualize their own safety performance in the Geotab Drive app. Drivers can see their predicted collision risk for the next 100,000 miles, observe trends over time, and identify their main opportunities for improvement.
To close the inaugural conference, Cawse announced an exciting new joint venture: Geotab Vitality. This initiative brings together two global leaders, Vitality, a specialist in actuarial and behavioral change with 40 million customers across 40 markets, and Geotab.
"We have a shared mission: to drive fleets towards business success and help enable safer roads."
The inaugural conference of Geotab Connect 2025 clearly demonstrated that the company is not resting on its laurels despite its 25 years of existence. On the contrary, Geotab and its ecosystem of partners continue to innovate rapidly to address current and future challenges in the transportation industry.
The emphasis on human impact, safety, sustainability, and AI integration positions Geotab as a strategic partner for fleets seeking to navigate an ever-evolving landscape. As Neil Cawse so aptly summarized:
"Fleet managers' jobs have changed. It's now your job to understand the opportunities and risks in a world that is moving around you, anticipating what's next to be outstanding in your job."
For the AttriX delegation and its Canadian clients present in Orlando, this conference offers a unique opportunity to explore these innovations firsthand and forge valuable connections within this dynamic ecosystem. The upcoming sessions promise to delve deeper into these topics and present other industry-specific solutions that will shape the future of fleet management.
Stay tuned for more updates from Geotab Connect 2025!
Anthony Mainville: Feb 26, 2025 3:48:54 PM
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