Fleet telematics provider Motive has filed paperwork to go public, a move that could intensify competition in the commercial trucking technology market amid a prolonged freight downturn. San Francisco-based Motive disclosed Tuesday that it filed a registration statement for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MTVE, according to company statements and regulatory filings. The company has not yet set a share price or offering size. Motive provides AI-powered tools for fleet tracking, driver safety, compliance, equipment monitoring and spend management. Founded in 2013 as KeepTruckin, the company says it now serves nearly 100,000 customers across transportation, logistics, construction, energy and manufacturing. Motive’s competitors in the fleet telematics market include Samsara (NYSE: IOT), Geotab (NYSE: GEO), Fleetio and Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB), all offering comprehensive solutions for GPS tracking, ELD compliance, driver safety, fuel management and maintenance. In September, Motive won a legal case against Samsara, with a judge ruling that Motive did not infringe on any valid Samsara patents. Related: Op-ed: Motive defeats Samsara in IP infringement case Motive is backed by Alphabet’s venture capital arm, GV (Google Ventures). For the trucking industry, Motive’s move toward public markets underscores how telematics and automation have evolved from optional add-ons into core infrastructure. Carriers continue to face thin margins, elevated insurance costs and tighter regulatory oversight — pressures that have driven adoption of dashcams, automated reporting and real-time vehicle data. Motive reported about 23% year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter, but remains unprofitable as it continues to…
