Updated Oct 24, 1:15 PM ET
Samsara announced on Sept. 22 a Model Context Protocol (MCP) that lets authorized users query live Samsara account data from third-party AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. It launches with more than 40 read-only tools and is free for now, with future pricing based on monthly usage.
Read the story: Samsara opens live fleet data to ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot via MCPIndustry & M&A · Oct 23, 2026
On-Road Fleets · Oct 23, 2026
On-Road Fleets · Oct 23, 2026
SambaSafety's fourth annual Telematics Report, based on 740 fleet, insurance and brokerage professionals, finds fleets are more open to sharing telematics data with insurers than insurers and brokers assume. The share of transportation fleets providing data to insurers rose from 29% in 2025 to 55% in 2026, while more non-sharing fleets say the value is not clear.
Continue reading: SambaSafety: 64% of fleets not sharing telematics data were never askedSamsara has released Agent Studio, a platform available to all its customers for building chat and voice AI agents on fleet data without writing code. The company says agent adoption has risen sevenfold since June and cites customer results in hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support.
Continue reading: Samsara launches Agent Studio for no-code custom fleet AI agentsGeotab says it has received a certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to integrate the J1979-2 protocol into its Clean Truck Check compliance solution. The company says its GO9 devices can identify which protocol a truck uses and collect the required emissions data without manual steps.
General Motors announced OnStar Fleet Intelligence on Sept. 30, a platform that pulls vehicle data and connected services into one dashboard for fleet operators. It includes a Fleet AI Assistant that answers questions about fuel, idling and utilization in plain language.
Openreach, which operates the UK's second largest commercial fleet, has started a trial of Geotab telematics with volunteer engineers. If the trial succeeds, the system will be deployed across its more than 23,000 company cars and commercial vans.
As construction fleets connect more machines, the next step for telematics is a real-time view of jobsite operations rather than dots on a map. Mixed-fleet platforms and AI could turn that view into decisions about idle equipment, maintenance and rentals.
Trackunit has released the Spot S300, a battery-powered tracker that connects unpowered assets such as trailers, containers and welders to its platform without wiring. The device has been available for order since Oct. 1, with first shipments scheduled for November.
DEWALT has launched the Tool Connect Partner Network, which lets Geotab-equipped vehicles, Trackunit-connected machines and BoxLock storage units detect and report the location of DEWALT Tool Connect tools. Existing Tool Connect users can activate the integrations now, and the company says more partners are expected within a year.
EquipmentShare says at-fault DOT recordable incidents per million miles fell 37% from 2024 to 2025, the first full year after it deployed T3 dash cameras and driver safety tools in January 2025. The figures come from T3's own case study, so they are vendor-reported and have not been independently verified.
Brigade Electronics has launched Haloniq, a video telematics software platform that combines live tracking, video, driver-safety data, compliance tools and reporting in one system. The company says it works with Brigade's own cameras and with third-party devices, which could matter for fleets already running mixed equipment.
Netradyne has launched Netradyne Intelligence, a platform that uses AI agents to carry out safety workflows such as coaching preparation and collision record assembly. The Coaching Agent and Incident Response Agent are available now, with the Rewards and Reporting agents due in the third quarter of 2026.
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Caterpillar's Digital Marketplace now lists a NextGen ISO 15143-3 (AEMP 2.0) API that delivers time-series readings for individual machines. It adds history for location, hours, idle time, fuel and engine condition to the snapshot data Caterpillar already offered.
Telematics Insider covers the telematics and Internet of Things (IoT) industry: fleet telematics, construction equipment telematics, video telematics and the machine data behind them. We write for people at telematics and IoT companies, equipment and vehicle makers, integrators, analysts and investors, and the fleets that use the technology. Here are short answers to the questions people ask most.
Telematics is the technology that collects data from vehicles and machines, such as location, engine hours, fuel use, fault codes and driver behavior, and sends it over a cellular or satellite network to software where managers can act on it.
Fleet telematics helps operators of trucks, vans and service vehicles track location, log hours of service with ELDs, cut fuel and idle time, coach safer driving, schedule maintenance from fault codes and prove where vehicles were for customers and insurers.
Construction equipment telematics tracks engine hours, utilization, idle time, fuel and location for excavators, loaders and other machines. Owners often run several brands, so standards such as AEMP and ISO 15143 let one system read data from every OEM.
Video telematics combines dash cam footage with vehicle data. AI dash cams detect risky driving such as distraction, tailgating or harsh braking, alert the driver in the cab and send clips to safety managers for coaching or to defend against claims.
Widely used telematics providers include Geotab, Samsara, Motive, Verizon Connect, GPS Insight, Lytx and Netradyne for fleets, and OEM platforms such as Caterpillar VisionLink, John Deere JDLink and Komatsu Komtrax for equipment. Telematics Insider covers them all.
Telematics is one of the biggest uses of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT means any connected sensor or device that sends data over a network. Telematics applies it to vehicles and machines: a device on board reads GPS, the CAN bus and engine sensors and sends that data to fleet software. The same IoT trackers now cover trailers, tools and other equipment with no engine.
