Skip to main content

Freight industry shifting toward a TaaS business model, say researchers

As the freight industry leaves behind traditional brokering practices to adopt digital and automated platforms, the connected truck telematics market is going through a period of intense evolution, according to the latest research from Frost & Sullivan. It claims digital freight matching solutions will bring about visibility in a disparate landscape, give rise to a truck-as-a-service (TaaS) business model and drive numerous partnerships. It is vital to be aware of key market developments, prime movers, and
February 22, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
As the freight industry leaves behind traditional brokering practices to adopt digital and automated platforms, the connected truck telematics market is going through a period of intense evolution, according to the latest research from 2097 Frost & Sullivan. It claims digital freight matching solutions will bring about visibility in a disparate landscape, give rise to a truck-as-a-service (TaaS) business model and drive numerous partnerships. It is vital to be aware of key market developments, prime movers, and the opportunities available to connected truck vendors in the original equipment (OE) and aftermarket.

Several maintenance management, compliance and safety solution providers have successfully ventured into core telematics to create a niche. Fleet management system providers will gradually evolve into one-stop solution providers of freight matching, video safety, tolling, fuel management, weigh-station bypass, and truck-stop solutions through alliances with digital solution vendors.

“While on-demand freight matching apps will disrupt the freight industry, apps with smaller revenue potential will offer efficiency, convenience and visibility to all industry stakeholders,” said Frost & Sullivan mobility research analyst Gokulnath Raghavan. “Freight mobility apps are adding driver utility and fleet optimisation features to increase traffic to freight-matching platforms. Consolidation and partnerships are expected to become common among app providers.”

The report, Global Connected Truck Telematics Outlook, 2017, indicates that by 2025, globally 63.5 million trucks will be connected. Emerging markets such as China and India will record a high telematics growth rate in 2017, closely followed by Southern Europe and North America.

The market is inundated with innovations, and many start-ups are targeting their R&D efforts at resolving the issue of under-utilised truck capacity. Following the resolution of this challenge, telematics can efficiently connect shippers and carriers based on real-time location and load capacity status of trucks.

“Applying open platform technology, an upshot of autonomous mobility trials, easier access to smartphones and cutting-edge technology will be the key drivers for the connected truck network in 2017,” noted Raghavan. “The growing importance of telematics and digital solutions will eventually change OEMs’ focus from truck-as-a-product to TaaS.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Truck platooning trials take to the highways
    July 24, 2017
    There is rising enthusiasm in America and beyond for the concept of truck platooning with trials being planned in several US states, as David Crawford reports. Growing numbers of US states are considering or implementing plans for trials of electronically-linked truck platooning on public road networks. This is in response to the interest being shown by the US$70bn a year road freight industry, where fuel represents 41% of the operating costs making the prospect of improving fuel economy by trucks travellin
  • Idaho weighs in with IRD deal
    September 23, 2021
    Pre-clearance system will be installed on I-84 Westbound at the Declo Port of Entry
  • MaaS Market London conference attracts global experts
    February 20, 2019
    A plethora of global mobility experts is heading for ITS International’s 2019 MaaS Market Conference, reflecting the increasing pace of Mobility as a Service deployment. Colin Sowman reports Mobility as a Service (MaaS) cannot exist without the digitisation of transport services - and digitisation is without doubt the biggest challenge the transport sector has ever faced. It will create more changes over the next five to 10 years than the transport sector has seen in the past 100 - and there will be winn
  • Scottish Enterprise grant to aid development of EV navigation app
    June 9, 2016
    Scottish Enterprise has awarded algorithm specialist Route Monkey a grant to support the research and development of an app that provides electric vehicle (EV) drivers with real time navigation and information on charging points en route. Livingston-based Route Monkey says the US$412,000 (£285,000), which contributes to the overall project cost of US$1 million ( £749,000), will accelerate the company’s R&D programme, enabling it to deliver this software as a service (SAAS) offering to the market as quick