ST. LOUIS, MO — A new survey of 267 commercial fleet professionals from Linxup, a GPS fleet tracking and safety technology company, found that 77% of drivers believe the benefits of fleet safety tools outweigh privacy concerns. The findings also indicate that drivers value technology that can prevent accidents and provide protection when something goes wrong.

The survey included field-service professionals in HVAC, electrical, landscaping, plumbing and other commercial fleet industries. It also found that employer safety practices can influence employee retention, customer confidence and drivers’ day-to-day experience behind the wheel.

Drivers Value Protection When Accidents Happen

When asked what would make the biggest difference in their day-to-day work, 29% of respondents ranked “protection if something goes wrong” as their top choice, followed by 27% who selected “fewer accidents.”

Nearly half, or 44%, said they or a coworker had been involved in an accident where dash cam footage or GPS tracking worked in their favor during an insurance claim or legal dispute.

The results suggest that as drivers gain firsthand experience with fleet safety technology, they may be less likely to view it strictly as a monitoring tool and more likely to see it as a way to protect themselves and document what happens on the road.

"Safety technology is often viewed through the lens of reducing accidents, but drivers are telling us they value technology that can provide an objective record when something goes wrong," said Naeem Bari, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Linxup. "Fleet drivers want greater confidence every time they get behind the wheel; that isn’t and shouldn’t be an impossible ask. Our findings show that protection, accountability, and knowing your company has your back all matter to today's workforce, reinforcing that safety programs work best when technology is positioned as a tool that supports employees, not just company operations.”

Safety Practices Influence Employee Retention

The survey found that fleet safety affects more than driving behavior. More than three-quarters, or 76%, of respondents said their employer’s approach to safety influences their decision to stay with the company.

Customer perception also plays a role. Sixty-one percent said customers have mentioned their company’s safety practices as a reason for doing business with them.

Meanwhile, 42% reported that their employer had become more serious about safety during the past year, pointing to a growing role for safety programs in both employee retention and customer confidence.

Formal Safety Programs Drive Greater Technology Adoption

Companies with formal safety programs reported higher adoption of fleet safety technologies than organizations without formal programs. Among respondents at companies with formal programs, 80% reported GPS tracking adoption and 68% reported dash camera adoption.

Those respondents were also more likely to say that safety practices make them want to stay with their employer. The figure was 49% among workers at companies with formal safety programs, compared with 38% among those without formal programs.

Formal programs also were associated with more consistent driver feedback and more proactive monitoring of accidents and near misses.

Jobsite Demands Can Complicate Safe Driving

Operational pressures remain a challenge for field-service fleets. More than 73% of respondents said real-world job demands make it difficult to drive efficiently at least some of the time. That included 44.6% who said it happens sometimes and 28.5% who said it happens often.

Leadership practices also affected how drivers viewed safety efforts. Twenty-two-and-a-half percent said management sets safety rules but does not follow through, while another 22.5% said rules only change after an incident.

The findings point to the importance of pairing fleet technology with consistent management practices rather than relying on tracking or cameras alone.

Drivers Want Transparency About Safety Technology

Communication also appears to influence acceptance of fleet technology. More than 72% of respondents said their employer had explained how GPS tracking or dash cameras affect insurance coverage.

Safety incentives were another potential motivator. Eighty-two percent said tying pay or bonuses to safety scores would motivate them to improve their driving performance, with cash bonuses ranking as the top incentive.

Women reported an especially positive view of fleet safety technology. More than 91% of women agreed that the benefits of fleet safety tools outweigh privacy or driver-resistance concerns, compared with 75% of men.

Women were also more likely to select “protection if something goes wrong” as the factor that would make the biggest difference in their day-to-day work, at 41% compared with 28% of men.

Driver And Management Views Are Moving Closer Together

Compared with Linxup’s 2025 fleet safety research, the 2026 survey indicates greater alignment between fleet managers and drivers on the value of safety technology.

The previous research found that fleet leaders viewed driver privacy concerns as a significant barrier to dash camera adoption. In the latest survey, 77% of drivers said the benefits of fleet safety tools outweigh privacy or driver-resistance concerns.

For contractors operating service fleets, the findings suggest that how safety technology is introduced and managed can be as important as the technology itself. Positioning GPS tracking and cameras as tools for accident prevention, accountability and driver protection may help build greater acceptance among field personnel.

The Linxup fleet safety industry survey was conducted in June 2026 among 267 field-service professionals working in commercial fleets in HVAC, electrical, landscaping, plumbing and other field-service industries.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Centiment on behalf of Linxup in June 2026. It included 267 field-service professionals who are part of a commercial fleet in the United States.

To learn more visit www.linxup.com.