The aftermarket device faces a new competitor: the vehicle itself
Factory fitted vehicle connectivity is becoming a strategic competitor to aftermarket telematics hardware as OEM data sources expand.
Modern commercial vehicles already generate enormous quantities of information.
Location.
Speed.
Fuel consumption.
Battery status.
Braking.
Engine condition.
Tyre information.
Driver assistance events.
Fault codes.
Trailer information.
Increasingly, that information can leave the vehicle without additional aftermarket hardware.
This creates an important strategic change for fleet technology companies.
Historically, owning the hardware connection often meant owning the customer relationship.
That advantage may weaken.
The future fleet platform may instead connect directly to:
Volvo.
Mercedes-Benz.
Scania.
MAN.
DAF.
Ford.
Stellantis.
Toyota.
And dozens of other OEM data sources.
THE OPPORTUNITY
OEM data is not necessarily a threat to fleet technology. It could actually expand the market. Removing hardware can reduce:
- Installation cost.
- Vehicle downtime.
- Installation failures.
- Hardware support.
- Replacement costs.
- Supply chain complexity.
- The challenge becomes normalising data from multiple manufacturers and turning it into one useful fleet view.
Sources
This story first appeared in The Fleet Brief Issue 004, published 21 September 2026.