Brokers keep bracing for a telematics objection that most fleets never raise. In SambaSafety's fourth annual Telematics Report, built on responses from 740 insurers, brokers and fleets across North America and the UK, 52% of brokers said fleets won't share data because they distrust how it will be used. Only 5% of fleets said that. And 64% of fleets that don't share say nobody ever asked.
We sent Ashley Newbill, Vice President of Product Marketing at SambaSafety, ten questions on what the report means for brokers, underwriters, loss control and carriers, from how to make the first ask to whether telematics data is a shield or a liability in court.
InsNerds: Your report found that 52% of brokers believe fleets refuse to share telematics data because they distrust how insurers and brokers will use it. Only 5% of fleets gave that as a reason. Where do you think brokers got that belief, and what would you tell a broker who expects that objection going into a telematics conversation?
It’s possible that this belief stems from their early experience with telematics in personal auto. In the first Telematics Report we published in 2023, more than half of broker respondents cited perception of intrusiveness or skepticism as the biggest obstacle for personal lines telematics adoption, and many said they had struggled to overcome this hurdle.
Brokers are deeply focused on protecting client relationships. If they've encountered any resistance to telematics on the personal lines side, it’s understandable that some may expect similar pushback with commercial fleet clients. Yet, our research suggests that commercial fleets view telematics differently, creating a gap between what brokers anticipate and what fleets say they are concerned about.
My advice to brokers is to not let assumptions prevent the conversation from happening. Go in with curiosity rather than expecting objections. More often than not, the challenge isn’t distrust. It’s helping fleets understand what’s in it for them and how sharing data can support better outcomes for their business. I’ve witnessed the success of this approach first-hand between our partners and fleet customers.
InsNerds: Among fleets that don’t share their telematics data, 64% say no insurer or broker has ever asked them. What does a good first ask look like? Walk us through how that conversation should go between a broker and a fleet owner.
A great first step for the broker is to understand the fleet’s priorities, rather than simply asking for the data. Is the client experiencing a premium or deductible increase, or having trouble placing their risk? Once that context is established, it’s much easier to have a productive conversation about how including telematics data into the overall risk story can address those specific needs.
The value also has to be clear. A client should understand what they’ll receive in return for sharing data — whether that’s more informed risk guidance or better renewal terms. The finding tells us many fleets aren’t necessarily opposed to sharing; the conversation just hasn’t happened yet.
InsNerds: In Transportation, 55% of fleets now share telematics data with their insurer, but only 32% share it with their broker. If you were advising a mid-size brokerage, what should they change in the next 12 months so they aren’t left out of the data relationship between their clients and carriers?
Brokers should make telematics a regular part of their client strategy. Our 2026 Telematics Report found that over half of national brokers are using telematics to differentiate their submissions in a competitive market, while only 21% of single-state or regional brokers do the same. Regardless of size, brokers are uniquely positioned to help fleets better understand risk, prioritize next steps, and ensure the progress they're making through telematics is reflected in submissions.
Over the next 12 months, I’d recommend mid-size brokerages focus on consistently bringing that information into renewal and risk conversations. Ask what their clients already have in place and what support would be useful. Those discussions can help the broker translate insights into practical recommendations and a stronger story to tell at renewal.
InsNerds: The share of non-sharing fleets who say sharing offers them no clear benefit more than doubled in one year, from 13% to 31%. From the fleet’s side, have carriers and brokers overpromised on what telematics will get them? What does a value exchange look like when the fleet feels it’s fair?
I think the key question is whether the value is clear and meaningful for the fleet. Financial incentives can be part of that exchange, but value can also come from risk consulting.
Most fleets already have plenty of information. Their greatest challenge is interpreting the large volumes of data generated by the devices. A fair exchange is when their insurer can help them better understand and act on the data. That guidance is only possible when an insurer has the data to view the fleet's full picture of risk, not just relying on historical inputs like loss runs. That's why telematics data sharing is so important. It surfaces emerging risk, so fleets and insurers can intervene before a problem turns into a claim.
InsNerds: 78% of fleets that use telematics data to guide driver training report fewer crashes or claims, yet only 26% of fleets use their data that way. From what you see with your customers, what stops the other fleets? Is it budget, staffing, software, or something else?
We see a few common challenges, and they're often why customers engage with us. First, the volume of events generated can make it challenging to know what to prioritize. Many fleets also rely on separate systems to view alerts and to assign training, making consistent follow-through difficult. Other organizations are still building their safety programs and lack the structure needed to effectively follow up.
Technology can help, but a clear process is also essential. Teams need to know who will review the information, how often it will be evaluated, and what steps to take when patterns emerge. These foundational workflows are often overlooked, despite being critical to turning telematics data into action. We built many of these practices into our Fleet Risk Management Academy (FRMA), a practitioner-led curriculum available for safety leaders. Many of our insurance partners share the free foundational module with their clients as part of broader efforts to strengthen safety programs. With the right technology and a clear process in place, fleets are far more likely to turn alerts into training, and that’s where the crash and claims reductions come from.
InsNerds: Your data shows 41% of severe speeding events happen between 6 a.m. and noon. Your safety advisor, Jim Angel, suggests the cause may be tight delivery windows and dispatch schedules, not just driver behavior. How should an underwriter or loss control rep tell a driver problem apart from an operations problem when reviewing a fleet’s data?
Start by taking a closer look at the pattern. If speeding is concentrated among a few drivers in different situations, it may indicate a driver coaching opportunity. If the behavior is more widespread, occurring across multiple drivers during the same delivery window or along the same route, it may be helpful to examine routes, schedules, and operating practices for opportunities to reduce the risk. The surrounding context matters, too. Underwriters and loss control teams can use the data to explore what was happening when the behavior occurred, whether it tends to happen under similar conditions, and where changes could help reduce risk.
Taking this broader view can lead to a more productive conversation with the fleet. It helps clarify whether the best response is driver training, an operational adjustment, or a combination of both.
InsNerds: Construction fleets record 254 severe speeding events per 100,000 miles, compared with 48 for Transportation. But Construction fleets told you the standard event thresholds are too sensitive for heavy site vehicles and make them look riskier than they are. Who should own the fix: telematics providers, carriers, or the industry as a whole? What would a fair industry-specific standard look like?
Telematics providers, carriers, and fleets each have a role to play here because, individually, they bring important perspectives to the conversation. Providers understand how events are detected, while fleets and insurers can help determine what they mean in the context of a specific operating environment.
The same threshold may produce very different results for a delivery vehicle on public roads and a heavy vehicle operating at a construction site. Any industry-specific standard should account for the vehicle and its operating conditions while continuing to identify behavior that creates real exposure. That’s why it’s important to work with a provider that understands the nuances of different industries and fleet mixes, and can calibrate thresholds to reflect the realities of each operation. Without that context, teams may spend too much time reviewing alerts that offer limited insight. More relevant thresholds would make the data easier to interpret and help fleets and insurers focus on the risks that warrant attention.
InsNerds: 45% of brokers believe fleets avoid sharing data because they fear negligent entrustment exposure, though only 12% of fleets say so. At the same time, an ATRI analysis found two-thirds of trucking cases involving phone use ended in nuclear verdicts. Once a fleet collects this data, is it a shield or a liability in court? How should fleets and their insurers manage that risk?
Whether data ultimately helps or hurts in a legal proceeding depends on the specific circumstances. However, a fleet that already has a consistent process in place is better positioned to respond if litigation does arise.
When the data reveals a concerning event or pattern, the fleet should understand what happened, take appropriate action, and document both the event and the response. That record can help demonstrate the fleet acted on what it knew. Insurers can support that effort through loss control by helping fleets build practical routines for reviewing and responding to the data.
InsNerds: Among insurers, the share naming "convincing large fleets to share data" as a challenge fell from 48% to 24% in one year. The share naming "creating value from the data" rose from 16% to 43%. If a carrier asked where to start, which single use case would you tell them to master first, and why?
I’d start with loss control. It’s a practical way for carriers to use telematics throughout the policy period and help fleets address emerging risks sooner.
For example, if severe speeding starts to increase in one part of the operation, a risk consultant can work with the fleet to understand what’s changed and identify an appropriate response. The fleet gets timely, practical guidance, while the carrier gains a clearer picture of how the risk is being managed.
When carriers consistently turn telematics insights into useful risk consulting, fleets can more easily see the value. It also creates a strong foundation for using the data in other areas, such as underwriting.
InsNerds: This is the fourth year of your Telematics Report, and your CEO writes that the industry doesn’t need more data; it needs better decisions. Looking ahead to the 2027 report, what finding would tell you the industry has turned that corner? What result would worry you?
Over the past four years, we’ve seen the industry make meaningful progress. Telematics adoption continues to grow, and most fleets are now collecting far more data than they were when we started. What I’d like to see next is a shift from simply collecting data to consistently and confidently acting on it.
A clear sign we’ve turned the corner would be fewer fleets questioning the benefit of sharing data and more evidence that telematics is being used to improve safety outcomes and support more collaborative conversations between fleets, brokers, and insurers.
What would worry me is if we see telematics adoption continue to climb while crashes and risky driving remain unchanged. The real measure of success isn’t how much data is being generated. It’s whether organizations are acting on that data to make more informed decisions and reduce crashes. That’s the shift I’d hope to see reflected in next year’s report.
You can download the full 2026 SambaSafety Telematics Report here (no form required).
Ashley Newbill is Vice President of Product Marketing at SambaSafety, a provider of cloud-based risk management solutions for over 15,000 organizations with automotive mobility exposure.