Telematics gets talked about a lot in commercial auto insurance, but half the conversation is shaped by outdated assumptions. Many of the objections people still raise come from old pilot programs, early hardware trials, or just general confusion about what telematics actually is today.

So instead of starting with market charts and industry trendlines, let’s go straight to the myths. Here are the most common misconceptions we hear—and the reality behind each one.

Fiction #1: “Telematics only applies to large fleets.”

Fact: Small fleets use telematics just as much because they feel the financial pressure more sharply.

Small carriers make up the majority of the trucking industry, and they're dealing with the same high fuel costs, tight margins, and safety expectations as everyone else. Many already use ELDs or basic dashcams, and the data coming out of those systems is just as valuable to insurers as anything produced by a 500-unit fleet. Treating telematics as “big fleet only” means walking away from risk signals that can make small-fleet underwriting more accurate and less volatile.

Fiction #2: “Telematics only matters for Class 7 and 8 trucking.”

Fact: It matters for delivery vans, service fleets, construction vehicles, and basically anything with wheels and a commercial plate.

Telematics isn’t limited to long-haul tractors. Light-duty delivery vans, box trucks, utility fleets, field-service pickups, construction units—they all rely on some mix of GPS, cameras, or ELD-like devices. And the risk indicators (speeding, harsh braking, night driving, dense urban routing) matter just as much in those segments as they do in an over-the-road operation. You may be surprised to know that many of our customers have large clients in the ride-share space. When insurers ignore telematics outside of heavy trucking, they ignore a huge portion of their commercial auto portfolio.

Fiction #3: “Implementing telematics is expensive.”

Fact: Most fleets already have the hardware. You just need to use the data.

The early days of telematics meant expensive hardware installs, proprietary devices, and painful integrations. Today, most fleets already have something: an ELD for compliance, a dashcam for safety, or a GPS unit for dispatching. The real shift is toward aggregating the data that already exists, not ripping hardware out and starting over.

Platforms like TruckerCloud connect to dozens of telematics providers and normalize the data. That means insurers don’t have a giant implementation project—they simply tap into what the fleet is already using.

Fiction #4: “Fleets will only share data if you pay them.”

Fact: Many will share voluntarily if it reduces hassle, speeds up claims, or protects them against litigation.

While discounts help, they aren’t the only motivator. Fleets share data when it leads to:

• Faster resolution on not-at-fault accidents
• Video evidence to defend against nuclear verdicts
• Less paperwork for radius, mileage, or audit reporting

The real sticking point is friction. If you force fleets to juggle portals, exports, or passwords, they won’t engage. But if the data flows automatically through a trusted aggregator, it becomes an easy “yes.”

Fiction #5: “Underwriters won’t be able to use telematics data.”

Fact: They don’t need raw data—they need simple, structured signals.

No underwriter wants a firehose of GPS pings or dashcam metadata. They want something that fits into their workflow: a risk score, a behavior trend, or a yes/no referral flag. TruckerCloud turns millions of data points into:

• Speeding and harsh-braking frequency
• Geographic exposure by zip code, city, and road segment
• High-level trends showing behavior over time.

The data doesn’t replace underwriting judgment, but it sharpens it. And insurers can phase it in gradually, starting with simple referral logic and evolving toward pricing factors and portfolio strategy over time.

Fiction #6: “TruckerCloud is only for trucking.”

Fact: It’s really about connecting telematics data across the entire commercial auto ecosystem.

Yes, the name sounds trucking-specific. But the value proposition—integrating dozens of telematics and camera vendors into a single insurance-ready feed—applies to any commercial auto segment. Mixed fleets, last-mile delivery, light-duty service vehicles, specialty contractors, regional carriers… they all benefit from having unified, normalized data pipelines that insurers can actually use.

The Bottom Line: Telematics Isn’t Complicated—It’s Just Misunderstood

Telematics isn’t a new fad, a big-fleet perk, or a project that requires a full IT department. It’s just data—data fleets already have and insurers increasingly need.

Once you cut through the myths, the story is simple:

• Fleets already generate the data.
• Aggregators make it usable.
• Underwriters can apply it with minimal friction.
• Claims teams can resolve accidents faster.
• Carriers can price and select risks more accurately.

The fastest path forward isn’t a massive telematics overhaul. It’s starting with one segment, one use case, and the data your insureds already produce every day.

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