New findings from Escalent’s Fleet Advisory Hub™ insights program reveal a dramatic upswing in readiness for fleet technology adoption, signaling that several once-emerging tools have firmly entered the mainstream consciousness of fleet business decision-makers.

In the sixth edition of our Fleet Technology Index (FTI) study, the overall FTI score—a composite measure of market readiness for adoption among eight technologies—has jumped 83% since 2020, when fleet tech was largely the domain of early adopters. Today, key technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and telematics are at the forefront of this surge, reflecting broad acceptance across fleets of all sizes.

Here’s our FTI findings and, more importantly, what they mean for fleet business operators, vehicle manufacturers and service providers navigating this fast-evolving landscape.

Fleet Market Readiness Accelerates Across Key Technologies

The latest FTI data show market readiness to adopt core fleet technologies—data analytics, telematics, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), autonomous vehicles (AVs)—and emerging fleet technologies—artificial intelligence (AI), mobility services/shared assets, drones and blockchain—has reached new heights.

For context, an FTI score of 100 for a given technology indicates full adoption and the most positive ratings from everyone we talk to. While mathematically possible, this is also a theoretical ideal. We believe reaching tech index scores in the 50s is a powerful indicator that technologies such as data analytics and AI have achieved broad traction in the typically slow march to market acceptance and adoption.

What were once nascent technologies have matured dramatically in the eyes of fleet decision-makers. In practical terms, fleets are increasingly confident these tools deliver value and many now consider them essential to remaining competitive. Market optimism and familiarity have grown to the point that the question for several of these technologies is when, not if, they become standard practice in fleet operations.

Small Fleets Will Drive Next Wave of Fleet Tech Growth

Historically, larger, enterprise-level fleets have led the way as early tech adopters. Now, smaller fleets—which make up the majority of fleet businesses in the market—have become “fast followers,” rapidly closing the gap.

According to the 2025 FTI study, the aggregate core technology index score for small fleets has jumped 23% in the past year, reaching 54.6. This means, as a group, small fleets have pushed past the midway point of technology readiness and have entered mainstream territory. For example, small fleets’ readiness scores for data analytics (66.2) and telematics (59.7) are now well above 50, confirming these solutions are firmly on the radar for smaller fleet business operators.

This surge in adoption readiness among small businesses proves some fleet technologies have been democratized. Fleets of all sizes increasingly recognize the tangible benefits that data-driven tools and other advanced technologies can provide from cost savings to safety and efficiency gains. Fleets’ increasing positivity suggests even companies with smaller, less complex operations are increasingly more willing to invest in tech that offers a clear return.

For the industry, this mainstream embrace by small fleets further validates the utility of these innovations and expands the addressable market dramatically.

Three Strategic Imperatives for Product Manufacturers and Service Providers Partnering with Fleet Businesses

Our 2025 Fleet Technology Index findings make clear that some fleet technologies have broken through to the mainstream and the playing field has expanded. The market’s evolution carries significant implications for product manufacturers and service providers. To thrive in this rapidly maturing landscape, providers should heed several strategic imperatives.

1) Reposition for Broad Adoption

Up to now, many product manufacturers and service providers have focused their sales and product strategies on large, capital-rich fleets. That playbook is rapidly becoming outdated. With small and mid-size fleets actively getting in the mix, providers must adapt their positioning, messaging and service models to resonate with a more diverse client base. This means solutions should be right-sized and accessible for smaller fleet operations without sacrificing functionality. Furthermore, product offerings and value propositions must engage smaller fleet business operators as core customers, not afterthoughts.

As fleet technologies become mainstream, differentiation will hinge on how well providers can help customers of different sizes succeed with the tools. Messaging should directly address smaller-fleet businesses’ distinct pain points and priorities. Additionally, it’ll be critical to demonstrate outcomes that matter to these smaller fleets (such as preventing downtime, reducing service and maintenance costs, and improving driver behavior) in straightforward, relatable terms that embrace the diversity of use cases.

With technology, we often talk about “scaling up to scale down.” This means those who previously catered to a handful of big clients may need to scale their customer support and training resources to serve a larger volume of smaller-business new adopters who have less in-house technical expertise.

In a market where every fleet is a potential customer, the winners will be those who can dance the dance from the enterprise all the way to the entrepreneur.

2) Accelerate Go-to-Market and Support Services

Another big takeaway from our study is the compressed timeline for expected fleet technology adoption. Fleet decision-makers now expect to implement core technologies roughly four to five months sooner than they anticipated a year ago. This shortened window has been supercharged by a heightened receptivity, an improved business environment and greater confidence in the tools.

On the product manufacturer and service provider side, a compressed adoption timeline means the sales cycle and deployment process must keep pace, heightening the importance of readiness. Any lag in responding to customer interest could result in lost opportunities as fleets forge ahead with or without a given provider.

Embrace the shortened adoption cycle by streamlining how new technologies are delivered and supported. From rapid onboarding and quicker implementation timelines to scalable training and customer success programs, ensure your organization can meet fleets’ expectations to deploy faster. Provide support services that are proactive and readily available to help your fleet customers to help themselves.

The time to act is now, both for fleets capitalizing on favorable conditions and for providers striving to meet this accelerated demand from their customers.

3) Elevate Consultative Partnerships

Providers should consider broadening their product offerings and advisory services to guide new entrants through shopping, onboarding, operationalizing and optimizing the technologies. As we mentioned with messaging and positioning for smaller fleets, this consultative model will require providers to meet the fleet business where it is in its tech adoption journey. Rather than offering an all-encompassing tech consulting playbook, providers will be more successful tailoring their advisory services to specific technologies. As an example, we found that four times as many fleet decision-makers express an interest in AI and data analytics consulting services compared with those related to hydrogen vehicles.

So, consultative support may be only educational in some cases, while in others, it may be more on-the-ground execution-oriented. Either way, fleet decision-makers have an appetite for these technology-driven consulting services as well as a clear perception of value associated with the concept of having a dedicated project manager from the provider.

A consultative approach that helps fleets integrate and operationalize technology solutions—eventually turning to optimization—not only drives better outcomes for fleet businesses but also opens new revenue opportunities through deeper, ongoing engagement and customer loyalty. Given the relatively limited capital required to establish expert-led consulting and the still early stages of adoption for these technologies, now is the time to mobilize these resources as yet another customer-focused strategy while also helping accelerate the rate of technology adoption.

Fleet Tech’s Mainstream Moment

Fleet technology’s mainstream moment is arriving and, with it, new opportunities and competitive pressures. Product manufacturers and service providers who are agile and quick to adjust strategies will lead in this new era of mobility.

Want to make sense of the complex and dynamic competitive landscape of tech-focused fleet service providers, profile businesses in the market for these fleet technologies, or learn how to prioritize technologies ripe for consultative services? Contact us here.