Construction equipment continues to evolve, with the rise of autonomous, electric, AI (artificial intelligence), GPS, telematics, the IoT (Internet of Things), and other vehicle technologies. For today’s blog, let’s look at three big construction fleet trends to watch in the days ahead.
Autonomous Construction Equipment
Perhaps one of the biggest trends the industry continues to watch is the rise of autonomous equipment in construction. This is a trend I have been watching, as I have attended many conferences in the past. Autonomous is certainly something to keep in mind, as we build more infrastructure and cities of the future.
Grandview Research predicts the global autonomous construction equipment market will grow 9.6% from 2024 to 2030. Government and private entities could spur on infrastructure initiatives. With the rise of AI and machine learning, we can now make machines smarter, helping to perform tasks that once were difficult to do autonomously. In the months ahead, don’t be surprised if you see more collaborative and connected efforts in innovation with the rise of robots, AI, and autonomous connected solutions to drive the industry forward.
Of course, with autonomous, the question always comes back to safety. How can we safely leverage autonomous equipment on our construction jobsites? The opportunity is there, but as with most technology, we must proceed with caution.
Electric Construction Equipment
Another big trend to watch is the rise of electric construction vehicles, which has seen slow adoption up until this point, but could be spurred on in the years ahead. IDTechEx’s predicts the electric construction machine industry will grow to be worth $126 billion in 2044, representing a 20-year growth rate of 21%.
A big benefit is the ability to generate a low total cost of ownership, after an initial higher upfront cost. IDTechEx’s analysis finds for an average 10-tonne excavator, a diesel machine will require $6,500 per year in fuel alone, while charging for an electric alternative costs just $3,350 per year.
Of course, charging the vehicles always becomes a point of concern. Berg Insight anticipates the number of connected heavy commercial vehicle charging points in Europe and North America will reach 541.000 by 2031. This is a 49% increase in Europe and a 47% increase in North America from 2023 to 2031. The infrastructure is coming.
High-Tech Fleet Management
All signs and research point to a rising rate of technology being used among fleet professionals. For instance, Verizon’s 2025 Fleet Technology Trends Report suggests 69% of fleets use GPS fleet tracking and 72% find it extremely or very beneficial—and almost half saw an ROI (return on investment) in less than one year.
Narrowing in a bit more on the construction industry, in a different study from GMI (Global Market Insights), we see the global construction equipment fleet management software market is anticipated to grow 15.2% from 2025 to 2034. In many cases, the objective is to improve efficiency of fleet management.
As an example, Carter Geotechnical, a provider of construction materials testing and inspections, is using RoadFlex, which is a fleet fuel management and purchasing solution. The system leverages AI and analytics to monitor transactions in realtime and provide insights to Carter Geotechnical. With this technology in hand, Carter Geotechnical can improve fuel management, heighten operational efficiency of the fleet, and reduce fraud, just to name a few.
Looking to the future, we will continue to see all types of trends drive the use of technology in fleets—including urbanization, government initiatives, and new solutions coming to market. Telematics, GPS, the IoT, and AI to help do predictive analytics, enabling better scheduling of equipment use.
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