Trucking must rethink workflows as AI expands, Trimble CEO says

“The traditional ways of managing freight are changing,” Painter said. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

SAN DIEGO — Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape transportation operations, but trucking businesses won’t unlock the full potential of this technology if they simply layer AI tools onto existing workflows, top executives at Trimble told industry technology leaders.

“The traditional ways of managing freight are changing,” CEO Rob Painter said during the Sept. 28 opening session at Trimble’s 2026 Insight conference. “The temptation is to view AI as either an existential threat to our industry or a magic wand that solves everything. I think it’s neither.”

Using a nautical reference, Painter instead likened AI to “modern rigging” that can help transportation companies spot a supply chain storm far in advance instead of reacting to it after running aground.

However, this shift from reactive management to real-time orchestration will require companies to update their business processes and infrastructure.

Painter compared the current AI transformation to another massive technology shift more than a century ago — the adoption of electric power, which displaced the steam engine.

At that time, the steam engine dictated the design of massive factories. The electric motor was cheaper and more efficient, but productivity didn’t truly improve for decades, until a new generation of engineers redesigned the infrastructure around this new power source.

“Today, AI is our electric motor, and the trap that every company faces today is the same: bolting a new power source onto an old operational architecture, using AI to speed up the same tasks and the same legacy processes and wondering why the gains are marginal,” Painter said. “We believe that real productivity requires the grit to redesign how work actually happens.”

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Attendees explore the exhibits at Trimble’s 2026 Insight conference. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

Trimble is undergoing that process internally as it integrates AI across its transportation technology portfolio, he said.

He emphasized that AI implementation is as much about people as technology.

“What is in front of us is as much of a human problem as a technology problem, because technology is fundamentally changing how people work,” Painter said.

He also acknowledged that AI and digital transformation have not reduced the importance of commercial truck drivers, who remain the foundation of the entire industry.

“Freight still moves because a driver got up this morning and did the job,” Painter said.

Michael Kornhauser, vice president of Trimble’s transportation and logistics sector, acknowledged the nervousness that some industry professionals feel toward AI adoption but highlighted the essential role that people and human interaction continue to play in the transportation industry.

“AI is accelerating and multiplying the value we can deliver to our customers … but AI cannot replace the context, the judgment, the decades of experience,” he said. “What AI has is infinite execution power. When we add AI execution into the systems you use every day, you get time back in your day. You find efficiencies that reduce cost. And you get the freedom to focus on your most meaningful work.”

Product rollouts

At the conference, Trimble introduced product updates and new capabilities spanning routing, navigation, transportation management systems, maintenance, yard operations and back-office automation.

One prominent announcement was the rollout of CoPilot Driver Assistant, a voice-activated enhancement to Trimble’s CoPilot navigation platform. The company said drivers can use natural-language commands to locate fuel stops and parking options and manage trips within hours-of-service constraints.

For example, a driver who wants to take a rest break can simply ask CoPilot for assistance rather than contact dispatch or navigate through menus. The system then evaluates the route, reviews HOS availability and recommends suitable stopping points.

The company also introduced Route Orchestration for its PC Miler routing platform, which recently marked 40 years since its initial launch. The new capability unifies planning, execution, visibility and settlement functions into a single workflow while helping fleets balance safety, tolls and delivery requirements. Kornhauser said Trimble currently processes 5.5 billion routing requests each month through PC Miler.

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Kornhauser introduces the company’s latest product updates. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

For private fleets, Trimble showcased autonomous planning capabilities within Appian Fleet Assistant. The tool functions as a virtual dispatcher by applying operational rules and automatically generating multistop route plans.

“Your best planners are no longer trapped in repetitive work,” Kornhauser said.

Another focus was Trimble Arc Agent, a general-purpose AI agent the company launched in August. Unlike specialized AI tools on the market, Trimble said Arc Agent is designed as a single conversational interface supported by a growing catalog of transportation-specific skills.

The system can automate core workflows such as order entry, contract intake and a new skill for request-for-quote generation. Users also can build custom skills tailored to their specific operations.

Trimble additionally announced browser-based upgrades to modernize its core carrier transportation management systems — TMW.Suite, TruckMate, Innovative and Fuel Dispatch — and enable more seamless connections with AI agents.

Other updates unveiled at the event included AI-powered invoice scanning enhancements for Trimble’s TMT Fleet Maintenance software and new trailer orchestration capabilities for Trimble Dock & Yard, the company’s dock scheduling and yard management platform.

In summary, Kornhauser said the fundamentals of transportation remain unchanged even as AI expands what trucking and logistics providers can accomplish.

“The heart and soul of transportation has not changed,” he said, “but our ability to transform it has.”