Insurers have long made underwriting decisions based largely on a fleet’s historical losses, but that is quickly changing as the adoption of telematics systems grows across the industry.
Most insurers are now looking closely at fleets’ telematics data to assess whether — and how well — fleets actively manage safety day to day:
Are you proactive? Can you demonstrate that drivers acted on speeding, harsh braking and distracted driving trends to drive measurable improvements in driver behavior, maintenance and compliance?
When fleets can provide evidence of a proactive approach to safety, they are much more likely to be rewarded with favorable insurance policy terms.
This is especially critical now, as fleets face rising costs on nearly every front and look for any lever within their control to mitigate them.
Commercial auto premiums rose an average of nearly 6% in the first quarter of 2026, marking the 59th consecutive quarter of increases. Meanwhile, the average cost to operate a truck hit a record $2.336 per mile in 2025.
Fleets with an effective telematics program can leverage that data to do more than improve safety. Used strategically, it can drive broader operational improvements and translate into lower insurance rates and better coverage terms.
How to turn data into action
Fleets with the strongest operations and safety outcomes consistently act on their telematics data to make targeted improvements, rather than just track what’s already happening. Leveraging telematics effectively to support proactive safety management requires:
Using real-time alerts and reviews
Unsafe behaviors like speeding, harsh braking and distracted driving should be flagged and addressed quickly, before they result in an accident or claim.
Coaching and documenting
When an issue is addressed through coaching rather than discipline, documenting that conversation creates a verifiable record of corrective action. This can prove especially important if a claim or dispute arises later.
Tracking performance over time
Dashboards and driver scorecards help managers spot trends, evaluate whether coaching or a specific intervention is working, and identify high-risk drivers that may need extra attention.
Celebrating driver wins
Recognizing improvement keeps drivers engaged and makes safety feel like a shared goal rather than a top-down mandate, ultimately helping reduce incidents and claims. Using telematics data to reward positive performance also supports retention, which underwriters watch closely when determining pricing.
Data integrity plays a key role
Data integrity is a critical part of maintaining trust and strong relationships with insurers. Insurers can identify sudden score changes or data gaps through audit trails built into most telematics systems. Any evidence of manipulated data or data that was deleted selectively can damage credibility and negatively affect insurance terms.
As such, fleets need to prioritize their data integrity by:
- Maintaining written policies on how data is collected, modified and reviewed;
- Aligning system settings with real operational conditions –– a speeding threshold that makes sense for local delivery routes may not make sense for long-haul or mountainous routes, and settings that don’t reflect real conditions can distort the data; and
- Sharing data transparently with brokers and insurers, highlighted documented improvements instead of cherry-picked results.
Work with your broker to tell your safety story
Building a compelling, year-round narrative around your safety data is one of the most valuable things fleets can do heading into renewal. Capturing and organizing key telematics metrics a few times throughout the year, rather than pulling everything together at the last minute, helps tell a cohesive story of measurable progress.
The safety narrative you present to insurers should clearly capture:
- Trend datashowing quarter-over quarter improvement in key risk factors like speeding, harsh braking and distracted driving;
- Coaching resultsdemonstrating fewer repeat violations and improved driver scores;
- Claims insights showing incidents that were avoided or exonerated with video evidence; and
- Benchmarking data comparing fleet performance against peers.
The clearer the story, the better underwriters can understand your fleet’s risk, and the more competitively they can price coverage. A broker who knows your fleet and your data can ensure your safety story gets told well, and that your story gets in front of the right people at the right time.
Dan Wilhelm, CIC, is the transportation practice leader for global insurance brokerage Hub International. He has more than 25 years of insurance experience, and a strong entrepreneurial background. He specializes in complex risk for all lines of coverage for middle market and large accounts related to automobile, construction, manufacturing, food processing, distribution and transportation. He is licensed in property and casualty as well as life and health. Dan helps develop cost-effective and comprehensive insurance programs for all areas of coverage.
