How Motive customers keep people in control.

When large fleets adopt AI-powered technology, the value is usually the same: more data, more automation, fewer surprises. But in the real world, technology doesn’t drive the vehicle or talk to a concerned customer. People do.

In Motive’s Peak Season Playbook webinar, Matt Lacy, vice president at EFW Transport, and Mike Burton, president of MedLog USA, dug into a question many enterprise leaders are asking:

How do you balance the control that technology gives you with the unpredictability of human behavior when things get chaotic?

Their answer wasn’t to add more automation. It was to double down on training, culture, and trust — and to use AI to support that work, not replace it.

“Technology is key, but it’s always the people that really count at the end,” Burton said.

Technology as a force multiplier

For both Lacy and Burton, technology is only useful if it makes people better at their jobs.

EFW uses Motive’s AI-powered Integrated Operations Platform to gain real-time visibility into drivers, vehicles, and freight, but Lacy is careful not to treat that visibility as a substitute for human decision-making.

“We invest in the training, and that allows us to interpret the data, and that empowers our team members to act effectively under pressure,” he said.

Instead of asking dispatchers and drivers to “trust the system,” his team:

  • Teaches people how to read and challenge what the data shows
  • Pairs automation with human oversight so no one feels overruled by an algorithm
  • Keeps critical thinking and empathy at the center of every decision

AI can’t erase the everyday human lapses that happen on the job, but it can alert drivers and managers to where attention is most needed — so they can respond faster and with more confidence.

“There is definitely a balance of automation with human oversight,” said Lacy. “We try to strike that balance without removing critical thinking or the empathy that goes into the decision-making process.”

Real-time data with a human purpose

The real test of any tool is whether it strengthens relationships between drivers, dispatchers, and customers.

EFW uses real-time data to keep all three in the same conversation. When conditions change — a storm, a detour, an unexpected delay — the data becomes a way to reset expectations in real time, not a punitive tool. 

“Technology is here to help, but it’s not going to replace that gut feeling drivers have,” Lacy said. “It’s there to help everyone feel a little bit more in control in those chaotic situations.” 

Burton extends that idea to the broader culture across MedLog’s 25 terminals. The biggest performance gains he sees don’t come from adding more tools — they come from investing in people.

At MedLog, locations with leaders who listen, communicate, and treat people with respect set the standard for everyone else. Those terminals rarely see chronic problems, because drivers and frontline teams feel supported, heard, and empowered to solve issues early.

MedLog focuses on coaching leaders to create the kind of environment where people want to do their best work. Instead of waiting for issues to escalate, Burton leans into manager development and open communication to keep teams strong.

“If you treat people better, they’re gonna perform better,” he said.

AI works best with skilled people behind it

If you’re exploring AI but wary of over‑automation, Lacy and Burton’s experience lands on three core principles:

  • Train first, then automate. Give people the skills to interpret data before you ask them to act.
  • Use AI to extend human judgment. Enhanced visibility through AI Dashcams, high-definition video, and real-time alerts should support drivers, dispatchers, and leaders — empowering them to make more informed decisions in critical moments.
  • Protect culture at all costs. Respect, communication, and trust decide whether technology delivers value.

That’s the human element behind fleet AI — and that’s how Motive keeps people in control.

Watch the webinar

What’s your peak season playbook? Hear the full conversation with Matt Lacy and Mike Burton. See how they use Motive technology to empower their teams and enhance the human experience at the busiest time of year.