DLL targets telematics as next frontier for inventory visibility, risk management

HOUSTON — Equipment financier DLL is in the early stage of telematics adoption as industry lenders, dealers and advisers move the technology from a buzzword to a business imperative. 

Telematics is beginning to reshape how lenders monitor collateral, how dealers manage fleets and how OEMs support customers throughout an asset’s lifecycle, with DLL beginning early stage adoption, Heidi Brooks, U.S. sales manager for commercial finance at DLL said during a panel today at Equipment Finance Connect 2026 in Houston.  

“We’ve just dipped our toes into telematics, and what that looks like for us,” she said. “We’ve been testing it a little bit on a few assets.” 

DLL is focusing on operational data, Brooks said, such as: 

• Machine hours;  

• Asset efficiency; and  

• Location tracking.  

While adoption is just beginning among finance companies, the technology could eventually streamline inventory inspections and reduce operating costs for lenders, Brooks said. 

“If, as a lender, I can go into a system and see that an asset is located exactly where it should be, then I don’t have to pay an inspector to go out and look at it,” she said.  

Dealer improvements 

Mid-Atlantic equipment dealer Hills Machinery is using telematics to consolidate fleet visibility and improve service operations, Director of Sales Skip Owen said during the panel. 

“We’re pretty deep down the rabbit hole,” he said. “We have a software package that is integrated for all manufacturers. Instead of having to go from portal to portal for each manufacturer, we’ve got it all on one view.” 

The system helps Hills manage rental fleet maintenance, track machine locations and offer fleet-management services to customers operating mixed fleets, Owen said. 

Telematics “gives a trust with verification with the wholesale audits, keeping us behaving responsibly with demos or things that slip into the rental fleet that we may have forgotten to buy,” he said. “It helps that relationship.” 

Equipment Finance Connect 2026 concludes May 19. Follow coverage at equipmentfinancenews.com.