The Future of Trucking: Key Takeaways From a Meeting of Leading Transportation Executives

The trucking industry is in a state of transformation. Market volatility, automation, new technologies, plus evolving shipper expectations are creating challenges for carriers that demand a response.

Optimal Dynamics recently held a Transportation Leadership Strategy Session to discuss these challenges and explore solutions. This session served as a focus group that zeroed in on the biggest opportunities and roadblocks shaping the future of freight. It covered:

• Market trends and how organizations are adapting.
• Investments in automation to streamline operations.
• Change management strategies that drive successful technology adoption.
• KPIs that matter for performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

If you’re navigating these same challenges, see below for insights from 25 industry-leading transportation executives that could help you identify and implement solutions. Have questions? We’re always here to help. Contact the Optimal Dynamics team.

1. Market Trends: A Shifting Landscape

The freight market is always in motion. While there’s still uncertainty across the industry, leaders struck a neutral to slightly optimistic tone regarding what’s ahead. Here are some of the main headlines from the discussion of industry trends.

Deregulation Could Refocus the Industry

Many leaders anticipate a return to a less restrictive regulatory environment, much like the 2016–2020 period. With fewer compliance hurdles, carriers and other organizations in the industry could shift their focus toward efficiency, profitability, and long-term growth strategies rather than firefighting regulatory changes.

Market Disruptions are the New Normal

From weather events to geopolitical tensions, external shocks continue to shake up freight networks. Some organizations thrive in volatility, leveraging market swings for strategic gains. Others struggle with uncertainty, highlighting the need for resilience in planning and operations. Either way, it’s important to treat these disruptions as a new normal — and to prepare for them as much as possible.

Shippers and Carriers are Becoming More Selective

Not all freight is worth chasing. More organizations are shifting away from a “take all freight” mindset and instead focusing on strategic partnerships that bring stability. The best shipper-carrier relationships go beyond transactional rates — they’re built on commitment, reliability, and shared long-term goals.

2. Automation Opportunities: Where Leading Transportation Companies Are Investing

Technology is reshaping trucking operations, and most organizations are prepping for the present and future by doubling down on automation to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the driver experience. These are the areas where these 25 industry leaders are focusing their automation efforts.

Cutting the Paper Trail: Faster Billing & Payments

Manual paperwork slows everything down. Companies are automating Proof of Delivery (POD) processing, which streamlines document handling to speed up billing cycles and reduce administrative bottlenecks. Faster processing means faster payments, keeping cash flow healthy.

Keeping Drivers Connected in an Automated World

While automation is making back-office operations more efficient, leaders recognize that driver engagement is just as critical. Technology can’t replace human connection, so companies are being intentional about ensuring that automation (in dispatch, communications, and routing) doesn’t isolate drivers from the team.

AI-Powered Support: Quicker Answers, Fewer Delays

Some teams are experimenting with AI-powered phone assistants to handle routine customer inquiries, helping to speed up response times and free up human reps for more complex issues. These AI-driven tools can assist with basic load searches and status updates before escalating more nuanced conversations to a live team member.

Mobile App Integrations: Automating Day-to-Day Operations

More organizations are expanding mobile app functionality, giving drivers real-time tools for communication, load tracking, and even accounting functions. The goal? To reduce in-office workload, improve efficiency, and give drivers more control over their day.

Network Optimization

These select carriers and transportation leaders are also using AI-driven automation to make smarter, faster decisions throughout the freight lifecycle. From choosing the best-fit network freight to determining which freight is best run on company assets to assigning optimal drivers and tours, learn more about how the Optimal Dynamics Decision Automation Platform is helping these companies automate the future of the industry.

3. Managing Change: How to Implement New Technology & Processes Successfully

Rolling out new technology requires getting the entire organization on board. Without the right approach, even the best innovations run into resistance. The most successful teams take a layered, structured approach to change management, ensuring adoption sticks and delivers real results. Here are the areas where this group of leaders focuses their change management efforts.

Strong Leadership is Non-Negotiable

Change starts at the top. Companies leading the way in automation and process improvements prioritize project governance, making sure every initiative has:

• Executive Sponsorship: Leadership must champion change and set the vision.
• Internal Champions: Key employees who advocate for new processes and train others.
• Subject Matter Experts: The people who truly understand day-to-day operations and ensure tech aligns with reality.

Tackling Bottlenecks: Breaking Down Data Silos

Messy, disconnected data has become one of the biggest roadblocks in implementing new processes. Many organizations still rely on “tribal knowledge,” where key information lives in people’s heads instead of in systems. This creates gaps, inefficiencies, and risks when those employees leave or retire.

The solution? Centralized data oversight ensures decision-making is driven by accurate, accessible information rather than scattered spreadsheets or outdated processes.

Earning Employee Buy-In: From Skepticism to Success

Resistance to change is natural, especially when automation is involved. Employees often worry that new technology will replace their jobs rather than enhance their work. The key to overcoming this is clear, transparent communication. After introducing new tools, take the next step by showing teams how those tools make their jobs easier, safer, and more efficient.

4. Reporting & KPIs: What Really Matters?

In trucking, what gets measured gets managed. But with so many variables at play, standardizing performance metrics is easier said than done. The leaders present in this Strategy Session struggled to agree on a universal set of KPIs, acknowledging that every company measures success differently based on their business models, customers, and operational goals.

That said, a few critical metrics emerged as top priorities across the industry:

• Revenue Per Time: Instead of just tracking revenue per mile, leading organizations also focus on revenue per day or shift to get a clearer picture of overall profitability.
• On-Time Service: A simple metric that remains one of the easiest and most valuable ways to track and improve on-time percentage.
• Driver & Asset Utilization: Ensuring trucks aren’t sitting idle and that each driver’s time is being used efficiently is key to profitability.
• Driver Retention: Turnover is one of the biggest cost drivers in the industry, especially for long-haul fleets. Retaining experienced drivers supports the bottom line.
• Safety Metrics: Organizations are doubling down on preventative safety measures to reduce risk, improve highway stewardship, and protect both drivers and the business.

Sustainability metrics are also top of mind. Shippers are increasingly demanding sustainability data when awarding freight. Many carriers and other organizations leverage tools like Salesforce Net Zero to track and report emissions, but confusion around regulatory standards makes compliance a moving target.

Looking at the Road Ahead

This Leadership Strategy Session made it clear that the trucking industry is rapidly evolving — and that success depends on just how nimble and adaptable an organization can be. Ultimately, the takeaways from this session were that:

• Market conditions remain unpredictable, but forward-thinking organizations are preparing for shifts before they happen.
• Automation is accelerating, but the companies seeing the biggest efficiency gains are able to elevate employees to higher-impact roles.
• Change management is make-or-break, requiring structured leadership, internal champions, and employee buy-in.
• Standardizing KPIs isn’t easy, but tracking the right performance metrics is critical for sustained profitability.

The path forward is all about embracing technology, building strong partnerships, and staying ahead of industry shifts. The companies that do this successfully will be the ones leading the way in efficiency, profitability, and long-term growth.

We want to thank the dozens of leaders who joined us for this insightful discussion. The sharing of knowledge at the executive level is essential for fostering innovation and moving the industry forward.

Want to see how automation and data-driven decision-making can transform your operations? Get in touch with us to see our Decision Automation Platform in action.