Geotab, a connected vehicles and asset management solutions company, highlighted the growing need for businesses to integrate high-integrity data and artificial intelligence (AI) into their core operations, in its 2026 predictions.
Geotab said it recognised the importance of high-integrity data and AI for businesses to find productivity gains and remain competitive in an economy defined by tight margins.
Neil Cawse, founder and CEO of Geotab, said: “Treating AI as an operational partner, powered by reliable data, is what will separate the leaders from the laggards in an increasingly complex environment.”
Geotab predicts that AI will move from chatbots to the centre of the business.
It will schedule work, manage tasks, and help teams move faster. This shift will free workers from manual coordination and speed up decision-making.
Geotab said the freight economy will feel hot and cold at the same time; haulage will stay essential, even in a slower economy.
But tight margins will push fleets to do more with less, and operators that use AI and data insights will likely stay more competitive and find new savings.
Geotab also predicts that autonomous driving is about to follow the same curve as AI; after years of testing, and the technology seemingly working, the adoption will follow suit.
Geotab said when costs drop and performance proves reliable, the shift will come quickly.
It also predicted that data-rich companies will power enterprise AI.
AI needs accurate, real-world data to work well, and companies that effectively process data will be essential to powering the next generation of enterprise AI.
Announced last week, the UK’s 2025 Budget adds further pressure to fleet economics.
Measures such as the Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) and the planned return of fuel duty rises will increase operating costs for both electric and ICE vehicles over the coming years.
With margins already tight across freight, logistics and service fleets, Geotab said this year’s Budget reinforces the need for operators to extract every possible efficiency.
Fleets that can accurately measure performance, identify waste and apply AI-driven optimisation will be far better positioned to absorb rising costs and remain competitive.
Cawse added: “Change and disruption never come without friction.
“It’s the organisations that push through that discomfort, embrace new technology, and move with conviction, that will come out ahead.”
Geotab said its forecast underscores that the real competitive advantage will belong to those who treat these technologies as an operational partner, rather than a separate tool.
For fleets, this means adapting swiftly to modernisation, using data to drive efficiency and make smarter decisions, even as market pressures intensify.
High-integrity data will be the essential ingredient, providing the visibility and validation needed to adopt next-generation technologies.
