Fleets that use technology to optimize resources can realize benefits including profitability and sustainability alike. And Trimble CEO Rob Painter points to the math to prove his point.

For example, a 1,000-truck fleet that optimizes its resources by an extra one percentage point can eliminate a million wasted miles per year. That removes 3 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and puts $2 million back into the fleet’s pockets, he explained during a keynote address to open Trimble’s 2022 Insight Tech User Conference and Expo in Orlando.

Bringing together data helps optimize routes and reduces empty miles, he told trucknews.com during a related roundtable discussion.

Painter also places Canada higher on the sustainability agenda than the U.S. And he added the issue is increasingly becoming an item that tops the agenda among customers. Half of Trimble’s largest investors are now ESG (environmental, social and governance) funds.

Productivity and efficiency naturally help with sustainability, noted Trimble general manager James Langley.

Optimized routes ensure drivers purchase fuel at the lowest cost. Analyzing fuel economy also helps carriers understand how to optimize equipment and they way they spec’ it. While the trucking industry averages 6-7 mpg (39.2 to 33.6 liters/100 km), those using data are getting more than 10 mpg (23.5 L/100 km), he said.

Trimble is building on its tools to support such work with the Instinct mobile operating system’s open ecosystem for apps, Langley said. Third-party applications can be added to address everything from fuel economy to documents, bringing the details into truck cabs. And companies can enhance their internal workflows with them.

“This is as big a shift as when we went from Nokia and BlackBerry to Google and Apple,” said senior vice-president Ron Bisio, referring to the open ecosystem.

Insight is highlighting Trimble’s focus on technological solutions that touch on everything from procurement to planning and execution.

“We are creating a digital experience that seamlessly integrates data, solutions and workflows to transform the way our customers work,” said Painter.

The Insight Tech User Conference and Expo runs until Wednesday.