The combination of increased accidents, cargo theft, and a shortage of drivers is creating a near-crisis scenario for Mexican trucking, where technology is becoming an indispensable tool to ensure the continuity of operations.
During its annual event, Motive unveiled new solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) and on-device processing capabilities (Edge AI), designed to respond in real time to the challenges facing the industry.
“We are seeing a very complex, almost crisis-like scenario. It is a very resilient industry, but there is a significant increase in accidents, thefts and costs, in addition to a shortage of operators that is approaching 100,000,” said Omar Camacho, CEO of Motive, in an interview with T21.
The company presented solutions, including AI Dashcam Plus and AI Omnicam Plus , devices equipped with Edge AI, which allows for the interpretation of events and the generation of responses without the need to send information to the cloud.
It also announced Atlas , a conversational AI interface through which operators can interact with the system and receive real-time recommendations regarding traffic jams, risk zones, or emergency situations.
“We are seeing an increase of nearly 20% in accidents compared to last year, and we estimate a similar increase for next year. Today we have almost 16,000 registered robberies, and all of this creates a vicious cycle that could force many companies out of the market,” he warned.
Camacho explained that, given this scenario, fleets require integrated solutions capable of reacting in real time.
“Organized crime uses cutting-edge technology, and many carriers continue to operate with isolated systems. What we are proposing is a comprehensive platform that responds to these challenges,” he said.
According to the executive, some implementations have managed to reduce accidents by up to 80% in the first six months , as well as decrease fuel consumption by up to 30% and reduce insurance costs.
From a raid to an expansion
One of Motive’s success stories is Grupo ADET , a company specializing in last mile delivery for e-commerce clients such as Mercado Libre and Amazon.
Its CEO, Donaji Alvarado, explained that the company was founded almost four years ago with the conviction that technology should be a central part of the business.
“We worked at a company where tractor-trailers would disappear and we’d find out three days later. We’d say, ‘How is it possible that this is still happening?’ From the beginning, we knew we needed GPS, cameras, and monitoring tools,” he recalled.
After operating with another provider, Grupo ADET adopted Motive’s solutions and currently none of its units go on the road without monitoring and telemetry devices.
The executive recounted that, during the first operations with Mercado Libre in Naucalpan, one of their vehicles was robbed. However, the panic button and real-time monitoring allowed them to alert the control center and coordinate a response with the authorities.
“The monitoring team found out immediately, called the police, and they arrived at the house where the merchandise was located. They uncovered a major network involving stolen vehicles and arrested the group. Since then, we haven’t had any more robberies in that area, whereas before there was one per month,” he explained.
The incident ended up becoming a growth opportunity .
“We took all the evidence to the client, and from there we experienced enormous growth. We went from operating about 10 units to nearly 160 with that client. If that hadn’t happened, we probably wouldn’t be where we are today,” he said.
The last mile remains under pressure
Alvarado noted that the recent Hot Sale left a sustained demand for deliveries during June, forcing companies to increase their capacity by up to 50% , in an environment where hiring staff has become increasingly competitive.
“Such rapid growth is a financial challenge and also a human capital challenge, because all last-mile companies are looking for operators and staff at the same time,” he commented.
In the last two months, Grupo ADET increased its fleet by between 30% and 40% and is currently in a consolidation phase to take full advantage of the technological tools already available, including operator training solutions.
“Visibility is everything. It helps us in human resources, finance, and operations. There comes a point where it’s essential to have a system that allows you to know where all the units are and what’s happening with them,” he stated.
For Motive, artificial intelligence and real-time reaction capabilities will be key to facing the challenges that threaten road transport today.
“We want to have a greater impact on what really matters to our customers: reducing accidents, decreasing theft, improving productivity, and helping to address the operator shortage,” Camacho concluded.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Jennifer Galindo / @GrupoT21
