November 18, 2025

Trimble Bets Big on AI to Build a Connected Future for Transportation Management

Trimble kicked off its 2025 Trimble Insight Tech Conference in New Orleans with a clear message for the global transportation sector: AI isn’t just another feature—it’s the new connective tissue for the supply chain. CEO Rob Painter and Transportation & Logistics SVP Michael Kornhauser used their opening keynote to outline an ecosystem-first vision where shippers, carriers, brokers and 3PLs no longer operate in data silos but in a unified, intelligent workflow.

That’s more than industry-friendly optimism. It’s a push to solve some of the thorniest problems in logistics—fragmented systems, reactive operations, rising costs and a workforce perpetually pressed for time.

“Trimble is modernizing and connecting our solutions,” Painter said. “We’re committed to delivering the ecosystem our customers need.” In other words: one platform that ties together everything from dispatch to maintenance to freight procurement.

Kornhauser summed up the strategy more bluntly: modern transportation should be “intelligent and connected.” And Trimble wants to be the company that makes that happen.

The Highlight: Trimble’s Next-Gen TMS Levels Up the Enterprise Stack

Every major TMS vendor is leaning toward cloud-native, AI-driven orchestration—but Trimble is making an aggressive play with its new Trimble TMS, positioned as the “central nervous system” for end-to-end operations.

Unlike legacy systems still anchored to batch workflows or bolt-on AI modules, Trimble’s next-gen TMS bakes intelligence directly into its operational core:

AI and ML insights for predictive planning
Automated workflows for dispatch, back office and customer service
Real-time analytics tied to KPIs and supply/demand dynamics
Modular deployment for carriers who want functionality without a full rip-and-replace

Modules span Order, Capacity, Supply:Demand, Status, Back Office and Control Center—giving carriers flexibility while promoting Trimble’s long-term ecosystem play.

Available now in pre-release for certain existing TMW.Suite and Innovative TMS customers, the full beta is slated for Q1 2026.

With competitors like Oracle, Manhattan Associates, PCS Software, and Transflo racing to embed AI across their platforms, Trimble’s pitch is clear: a unified system built not just for automation, but for orchestration.

AI Agents Step Into the Driver’s Seat

AI agents dominated the keynote, and for good reason. Logistics is drowning in manual tasks—order entry, invoice scanning, breakdown calls—and AI offers an immediate productivity upgrade.

Three new agents took center stage:

• Order Intake Agent

Processes orders from emails, PDFs and EDI and pipes them into any Trimble TMS. This alone could shave hours off customer service workloads.

• Road Call Agent

Drivers describe breakdowns in natural language; the system interprets, triages and initiates roadside assistance. No complex menus. No waiting.

• Invoice Scanning Agent

Reads PDF invoices for fleet maintenance, eliminating tedious data entry and freeing technicians and office staff for higher-value work.

Available across Trimble’s ecosystem in Q1 2026, these agents signal a shift from “AI as helper” to “AI as workflow engine.”

The broader trend mirrors what we’ve seen from Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot and Microsoft’s Copilot Studio: AI that doesn’t just answer questions—AI that takes action.

Integrations Expand Across Telematics, Freight Procurement and Fuel Dispatch

Next came the integrations—the connective tissue every carrier wants but few vendors execute well.

Trimble Fleet Hub

Centralizes driver–office communication and hooks into major telematics platforms including Platform Science, Samsara, ISAAC, Geotab and Solera. This helps fleets modernize without abandoning their hardware investments.

Trimble Freight Marketplace

A procurement tool that uses carrier vetting AI and streamlines capacity matching. Early adopter Procter & Gamble is already moving freight through it, an endorsement most platforms would kill for.

Tandem Concepts + Trimble Fuel Dispatch TMS

A new integration aimed specifically at fuel haulers—digitally validating orders before dispatch to cut “no-load” trips and reduce driver detention. Fuel hauling is notoriously inefficient; shaving even a few percentage points off missed loads translates into major savings.

The integrations reflect a broader industry trend: TMS platforms evolving from static systems of record into dynamic networks that unify carriers, shippers, brokers and third-party data sources.

What It Means for Transportation Technology

Trimble isn’t the only vendor pushing deeper into AI-native transportation management, but its ecosystem strategy sets it apart. Instead of piecemeal updates, Trimble’s play resembles a full-stack modernization of logistics technology.

Three implications stand out:

1. The TMS Market Is Shifting Toward “Operate, Don’t Observe.”

Legacy TMS systems were built to show users data; the next generation is being built to act on it.

2. AI Is Becoming Table Stakes for Carriers.

With razor-thin margins and chronic labor shortages, carriers that don’t adopt AI-driven workflows risk falling behind fast.

3. Integrations Matter More Than Features.

Telematics interoperability, procurement visibility, digital identity, maintenance systems—transportation tech is only useful if it connects.

Trimble’s announcements move the company closer to offering that connective layer.

Availability and Rollout Timeline

Trimble TMS Order + Capacity modules:
Pre-release trials available now for TMW.Suite and Innovative TMS customers.
Full Trimble TMS (beta):
Q1 2026
Order Intake Agent (TMW.Suite pre-release):
Available today; expands to Trimble TMS, TruckMate and Innovative TMS in H1 2026.
All other AI agents + integrations:
Q1 2026