What 2025 Taught Us About Truck and Trailer Management

From supply chain obstacles to tariff uncertainties, 2025 brought many questions and challenges. To stay ahead of industry unpredictabilities, such as tighter margins, higher expectations and operational pressure, fleet managers had to adapt and rethink truck and trailer strategies quickly and efficiently. Many fleet managers found that the common denominator across planning was the importance of a connected fleet management strategy. Connected fleet technology, such as vehicle and asset tracking, is no longer a nice-to-have but a mandatory component to productive, efficient, safe and cost-effective fleet management.

In this blog, MICHELIN Connected Fleet outlines some of the lessons learned over the past year and how connected fleet technology became mission-critical for truck and trailer fleet management.

lesson 1: holistic visibility is no longer optional

Operating with limited visibility in any situation can compromise operational productivity. For truck and trailer management, this is especially true. When fleet managers aren’t aware of vehicle or asset location, driver safety, route optimization and tracking data are all compromised. Without necessary tracking technology, fleet managers cannot adequately support drivers who experience situations such as emergency roadside service events or breakdowns, affecting safety, maintenance planning, operational downtime and overall costs.

By incorporating vehicle tracking technology into truck and trailer management strategies, fleet managers know exactly where their vehicles are at all times. With this information and tracking data, routes can be optimized based on traffic patterns and job assignments, drivers are provided support when needed and operational productivity continues as planned.

lesson 2: safety starts with smart technology

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the number of vehicles involved in fatal and non-fatal crashes decreased by 20.88% in 2025 compared to 2024. This statistic shows the growing importance of prioritizing safety in fleet management strategies. More and more fleet managers are looking to enhance driver safety, using connected fleet technology as a starting point.

Vehicle tracking solutions provide real-time data on driving patterns, indicating when a driver exhibits behaviors such as speeding, harsh turns, abrupt stops and more. Based on this data, fleet managers can pinpoint unsafe driving patterns and implement the appropriate training and education for drivers. Not to mention, vehicle tracking can identify on-the-road conditions, such as traffic backlogs and unsafe routes, prioritizing driver safety and helping avoid incidents or collisions.

Tire monitoring technology, such as MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s Smart Predictive Tire (SPT) solution, also improves general truck and trailer safety by predicting when tires will reach critical pressure levels. This enables fleet managers to prevent unexpected events on the road and optimize maintenance scheduling. By identifying pressure risks before they become failures, SPT helps reduce tire-related roadside events and supports more predictable maintenance planning.

lesson 3: preventive maintenance drives cost savings

While connected fleet technology can help improve overall safety, incidents on the road, such as breakdowns, collisions and emergency roadside service calls, are inevitable. Unexpected maintenance events can lead to costly downtime, costing fleets hundreds of dollars per vehicle a day, lowering productivity and causing operational delays. This is why fleet managers have begun incorporating preventive maintenance into their truck and trailer strategies.

Baking preventive maintenance into your everyday fleet strategy can help keep your fleet out of the shop and on the road. By taking a proactive approach, you can schedule maintenance check-ups in advance to keep track of oil changes, brake system inspections, tire checks, TPMS sensors, GPS tracking and more. Additionally, using driver checklists during post-trip inspections as part of driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) can provide vital data and insights into vehicle health, including fluid levels, steering and brake mechanisms and fuel supply. Arming yourself with maintenance data can help detect potential malfunctions, protect driver safety and lower operational costs.

Lesson 4: Data is more critical than ever

Data is the cornerstone of any fleet management strategy. However, in 2025, fleet managers went beyond just data collection. They took a deeper look and extracted valuable insights from software data to inform business decisions. Whether analyzing data on driver and vehicle safety, vehicle location or fuel consumption, connected fleet technology provides a deeper glimpse into the trends and patterns at play. Those who noticed a significant increase in fuel consumption broke down the data to identify factors such as route optimization and driver behavior, pinpointing the exact cause and enabling informed changes to reduce fuel use.

Sifting through large amounts of data can feel overwhelming. Consider working with a trusted industry partner who not only can break down your connected fleet data but also provide an actionable plan tailored to your specific needs. With this kind of consultative approach, you get the most value from your fleet management software.

preparing for the future of fleet management

Connected fleet technology proved to be foundational this past year, providing vital visibility, enhancing driver safety, improving costs and supporting productivity. As we look ahead to the new year and beyond, the importance of scalable, flexible fleet technology will only increase. Moving forward with status quo solutions is no longer sustainable. Fleet managers need to begin taking forward-looking approaches to truck and trailer management. MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s team of seasoned professionals understands that the industry is constantly evolving and is ready to help your business grow with confidence.

Ready to boost your connected fleet strategy for the new year? Contact us today.

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Written by The MICHELIN Connected Fleet Team

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