Kentucky Transportation Cabinet improves efficiency and employee trust with Geotab

When Randi Feltner joined the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) as transportation engineer specialist, she inherited a problem hiding in plain sight: Geotab devices had been installed across the fleet for almost five years, but the data they generated was going largely unused. The same data that could have been improving maintenance, reducing winter operations errors, and defending KYTC's budget before state legislators was sitting untapped — while employees questioned whether the devices were being used to monitor them for disciplinary purposes. 

Feltner's job was to change that narrative. The results went far beyond better record-keeping.

The challenge: five years of untapped data, manual errors, and employee distrust

KYTC is a state-funded agency that builds and maintains state and federal highways across Kentucky — managing 60,000 lane miles and keeping them safe, maintained, and operational every day. The scale of that responsibility demands reliable, real-time data. For years, the data existed. The capacity to act on it did not.

Three problems compounded each other:

• Underutilized telematics data: KYTC had been collecting data from Geotab devices for nearly five years. Without dedicated resources to analyze it, the data sat idle while operational decisions were made on instinct and manual records.
• Manual entry errors in winter operations: Material usage on snow routes was measured with scoops — an informal unit that varied from person to person. Without accurate data, tracking how much material went to which route was guesswork.
• Employee distrust of fleet devices: When telematics devices were first installed, employees grew uncertain about their purpose. Many suspected the devices were being used to monitor their movements and support disciplinary action. That perception undermined the program before it could deliver value.

When Feltner took ownership of the telematics program, she had a clear mandate: unlock the data, improve operations, and rebuild trust in the tools.

The solution: automated tracking for maintenance, winter ops, and fleet visibility

Geotab addressed each of KYTC's challenges through a single connected platform, replacing manual processes with automated data collection across maintenance scheduling, winter material tracking, and fleet-wide visibility.

Maintenance and vehicle health monitoring

With Geotab tracking devices installed across fleet vehicles, KYTC replaced manual mileage logs and paper maintenance records with automated data collection. The team now tracks engine diagnostics, vehicle health, engine hours, and mileage in real time.

Drivers no longer fill out paperwork to track mileage or flag maintenance needs. That workload moved to the management level, freeing drivers to focus on their routes. Fleet managers can also locate and monitor equipment remotely, making it easier to confirm vehicles are being used efficiently.

Accurate winter material tracking via API

Winter operations presented a more specific challenge. KYTC's snow routes are mixed — a single truck might cover part of an interstate before turning onto a lower-priority road — making it nearly impossible to accurately track material usage by route without precise location data.

KYTC is now working alongside an inventory management vendor, using Geotab's API to pull vehicle and route data and generate daily work cards for material usage. The shift from informal scoop-based measurements to data-driven tracking is already improving accuracy before any operational changes are made.

"Just doing that, even if we don't change operations a lot, will increase our accuracy a great deal, especially with where our material goes." — Randi Feltner

"Before Geotab, we weren't doing much record keeping around how much material goes to a certain route. When we loaded the trucks, we were measuring with scoops, which are different depending on who you ask — so this will help with accuracy." — Randi Feltner

The results: employees defended, budgets justified, and data-driven operation

Telematics data cleared employees of wrongful allegations

The shift in employee perception didn't come from a communication campaign. It came from a single incident.

A KYTC fleet truck was pulled over by a sheriff and cited for driving 30 miles over the speed limit. The KYTC team pulled the vehicle's Geotab data and provided the driver with actual records from the dashboard disputing the allegation. The charge was dismissed in court.

That one event changed everything. The same devices employees had suspected of being used against them had just been used to defend one of their own. Positive feedback on the program — already building from the elimination of manual paperwork — accelerated significantly.

KYTC has since used Geotab data to address multiple complaints of speeding or vehicles being in unauthorized locations. In each case, the data provided an objective, verifiable record.

Data-driven budget justification for state legislators

Kentucky's transportation maintenance budgets have remained flat for years while operational costs have risen steadily — a pressure every government fleet manager recognizes. Without data, making the case for budget increases means arguing against assumptions.

With Geotab, KYTC can demonstrate to state legislators exactly how efficiently the fleet is operating: where the money goes, what improvements have been made, and what efficiency gains have offset rising costs. The data doesn't just support budget requests — it shows lawmakers that the agency is doing everything right with the resources it has.

At a glance:

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Geotab ranks #1 in commercial telematics — four years running

For the fourth consecutive year, ABI Research has named Geotab the overall leader in commercial telematics, ranking first in both Innovation and Implementation. ABI Research's Implementation ranking evaluates vendors across all fleet verticals, including government and public sector agencies — on criteria that include market share, geographic coverage, platform
 flexibility, vertical segment depth, and AI and data analytics capabilities. 

The results KYTC achieved with Geotab, from automated vehicle health monitoring to API-integrated winter operations and telematics data that held up in court, reflect exactly the implementation depth that earned Geotab that recognition four years running.