The future of trucking took center stage at ACT Expo as industry leaders gathered for a high-powered panel to discuss how digital innovation, advanced software integration, and autonomous technology are reshaping the commercial vehicle landscape. The panel featured executives from International, TRATON, Plus, and Applied Intuition.
Kicking off the discussion, Mathias Carlbaum, President and CEO of International, emphasized the role of digital integration in transforming fleet operations and improving safety and efficiency. He highlighted the recent launch of International’s Class 8 electric RH eTruck, unveiled just days before ACT Expo, as evidence of the company’s forward momentum.
Catharina Modahl Nilsson, Executive Board Member and Head of Product Management at TRATON, brought a global perspective and technical depth to the conversation. She underscored the importance of collaboration in driving technological change across OEMs, tech developers, and fleet customers.
“This industry is undergoing a digital revolution,” she said. “Software and electronics now drive the majority of innovation in trucks — and partnerships that combine deep technical expertise with shared values are critical.”
Stressing that partnerships must align not only on strategy but also on culture, Modahl Nilsson explained how collaboration fuels creativity and accelerates real-world solutions.
“We are not doing this just for the sake of technology. It’s about delivering customer value — through uptime, safety, and lower total cost of ownership.”
That customer-first mindset was echoed by Peter Ludwig, Co-Founder and CTO of Applied Intuition, and David Liu, CEO of Plus. The two explained the core concept of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) — trucks capable of receiving continuous over-the-air updates, evolving and improving long after leaving the factory floor.
“Software-defined vehicles are competitive tools,” said Liu. “By 2030, a truck without this capability will be like a steam engine—outdated and inefficient.”
Ludwig added that SDVs fundamentally change the value proposition of commercial vehicles
“With the ability to iterate and improve functionality after deployment, fleets gain new tools for logistics, safety, and uptime, ultimately making operations more resilient and profitable,” said Ludwig.
The panel also explored how digital platforms and autonomy will improve fleet uptime and operational ROI.
“We’re already seeing 10–20% gains in uptime with predictive maintenance alone,” said Carlbaum. “That dwarfs the savings from reduced servicing costs. And once autonomy scales, the total cost of ownership will shift dramatically.”
Panelists agreed that the pace of progress has accelerated in the past two years. What once seemed like a perpetually distant future for autonomous trucks is now within reach.
“Five years ago, it felt like autonomy kept getting further away. Today, it’s coming closer,” said Carlbaum.
The session closed on a high note, with all speakers aligning on a shared vision: a digitally connected, software-enabled, and increasingly autonomous commercial transport sector that delivers measurable safety, efficiency, and sustainability gains to fleets.
As Modahl Nilsson put it, “We’re not just building smarter trucks — we’re building smarter systems that support smarter business.”
