The survey, conducted among RHA members and OneAdvanced customers, found that 91% of hauliers operate below seamless integration.
Larger operators appear to be no better placed than medium-sized fleets. According to the research, integration levels do not improve significantly as businesses expand, leaving even enterprise fleets dependent on systems that work individually but do not exchange information effectively.
The findings point to what OneAdvanced describes as an “integration ceiling”, where operators can achieve functional digital processes but struggle to create a single, connected operating environment.
This lack of connectivity is contributing to duplicated work and administrative pressure, particularly as fleets grow.
Manual data entry remains a major burden
Some 43% of respondents identified manual data entry as the most damaging source of daily friction. The problem becomes more severe in larger businesses, where higher transaction volumes expose weaknesses in back-office processes.
The survey also found a clear divide in how operators use data to support strategic decisions.
Among micro fleets, 44% rely largely on intuition, while dependence on instinct falls to almost zero among businesses operating more than 50 vehicles. This suggests that limited business intelligence is primarily a challenge for smaller operators rather than the haulage industry as a whole.
Richard Smith, managing director of the RHA, said operators were not being held back by a lack of ambition, but by the effort required to manage disconnected systems while maintaining compliance and keeping vehicles operational.
He said hauliers wanted practical technology that reduced administration, simplified compliance and improved efficiency, allowing management teams to focus on running their businesses.
Compliance and cashflow lead investment priorities
Compliance with Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency requirements and financial volatility were identified as the industry’s most pressing concerns.
Together, they were prioritised by 76% of respondents, ranking above cyber security, environmental reporting and subcontractor risk combined.
The results indicate that operators are likely to judge new systems primarily on whether they can protect cashflow and support compliance, rather than on broader promises of digital transformation.
Customer expectations are also beginning to divide the market. While 49% of respondents said customer requirements had remained broadly unchanged, 51% reported growing demand for tools such as online visibility portals, carbon reporting and digital proof of delivery.
This is creating a split between customers that expect real-time digital services and those that continue to rely on more traditional processes.
Hauliers want practical AI applications
The research suggests that road transport operators are interested in artificial intelligence, but mainly where it can address existing operational problems.
Smart document processing was the most frequently requested AI application, cited by 59% of respondents, followed by predictive maintenance at 54%.
Both uses closely reflect the sector’s main concerns: reducing manual paperwork and avoiding vehicle downtime.
The most striking finding is how pragmatic demand for AI has become,” said Andrew Henderson, chief technology officer at OneAdvanced. He said operators were looking for intelligence embedded within existing workflows rather than another standalone tool.
Anwen Robinson, senior vice-president for wholesale and logistics, transport and retail at OneAdvanced, said adding further point solutions would not overcome the integration problem.
She said operators wanted systems that removed everyday friction, supported compliance and reduced financial risk rather than technology built around distant or speculative applications.
TMS and WMS replacement cycle may be approaching
More than a third of respondents, 36%, said their transport management system required significant modernisation. The same proportion reported similar shortcomings in their warehouse management systems.
Combined with the low integration scores, the findings indicate that a substantial number of operators could be preparing to replace or upgrade core platforms.
OneAdvanced linked the survey results to IQ, its recently launched platform for the wholesale, logistics, transport and retail sectors. The company says the system is designed to connect workflows and data while embedding controlled AI functions into day-to-day operations.
However, the wider message from the research is that hauliers are unlikely to invest in technology for its own sake. Systems will need to demonstrate that they can cut administrative work, strengthen compliance and deliver measurable operational savings.
