Autonomous Transport Trucks One Step Closer to Reality
Autonomous trucking, which many people once called the element of science fiction, is gradually moving closer to becoming a reality in the real world after many years of investment, development, and on-road testing.
Many technology developers, truck manufacturers, and industry suppliers for many years have been working endlessly to find a solution to the significant technical challenges and tackle myriad operational considerations to make autonomous transport trucks a reality on interstate highways.
Many people who support this emerging technology say autonomous driving trucks could unlock significant efficiency and increase productivity while improving highway safety.
To make this vision come alive, several technology developers are already testing autonomous driving trucks by using them to haul freight on public roads through partnerships with shippers, carriers, and logistics providers. This is done by traveling with safety drivers behind the wheel and an operations specialist in the passenger seat.
Today, autonomous truck companies are operating primarily in the United States in states like Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico because they have ideal weather conditions and a favorable regulatory environment for testing them.
Potential Benefits of Autonomous Trucks
The holiday season is the time when more people are on the roads and there is also unpredictable weather. This is a combination that is known to delay vehicle shipping and knowing what to expect can help you plan better.
Understand the Impact of Winter Weather
The autonomous trucking industry could hold the potential to unlock numerous safety and efficiency benefits for the freight transportation industry.
Increased Efficiency and Productivity
When fully autonomous trucks start working, they will no longer be limited by drivers’ limited driving time under hours-of-service regulations. This will open the way for much greater vehicle utilization, more time to travel, and higher productivity.
Improved Safety on the Roads
Autonomous transport trucks also promise potential safety benefits for the road and other road users. We all know automated driving software is not as flexible or adaptable as the human mind, but the good thing is that it can perceive hazards sooner and react faster. Unlike humans, these software’s will never be tired or become distracted or angry behind the wheel.
Reduced Labor Costs
Autonomous trucking companies will help ease the trucking industry’s long-standing struggle of not having enough drivers. Autonomous trucks will definitely attract and retain professional drivers.
Also, by automating some long-haul truck routes in hub-to-hub freight operations, there will be a shift in some driver jobs from long-haul truckload operations to short-haul and regional jobs. This will also provide more home time and better match the preferences of many younger drivers.
Potential for Reduced Carbon Emissions
According to statistics, autonomous vehicle developers have predicted that their technology will yield significant fuel savings. This is because autonomous trucks will operate more efficiently than human-driven trucks and will also travel at lower average speeds that consume less fuel.
Regulatory and Safety Concerns With Using Autonomous Transport Trucks
Although the autonomous trucking industry is becoming an increasingly important part of the auto transport industry, the greatest concern is how the industry will be regulated.
Maybe at some point in the coming years and decades, the timing for switching to autonomous trucks remains fluid and subject to many variables.
But with many developments and on-road testing going on in the past several years, it is now very clear that there is a future in it.
The Types of Automated Driving
With the ongoing development of autonomous trucks, developers are making efforts to enhance and expand the capabilities of driver-assist technologies. Here are some of the types that are advancing.
Driver-Assist Technologies
Truck manufacturers and industry suppliers are now introducing advanced driver assist systems into their production. The system builds upon the safety technologies that have been on the market for years. These systems include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, electronic stability control, and adaptive cruise control.
In recent times, truck manufacturers have also begun to include driver-assist features that partially automate steering functions. These automated steering capabilities include lane keep assist and lane departure protection which are seen as building blocks for fully autonomous vehicles.
Self-Driving Automation Levels
The development of autonomous driving trucks is different from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems because the technical requirements and business cases for fully autonomous vehicles are not the same as driver-assist systems, which means the system depends on a driver to operate the vehicle.
In Conclusion
The road to using autonomous transport trucks is still long and uncertain.
Many technology developers and startups have taken up the challenge to solve the operational challenges of using autonomous trucks.
It is clear that some of those companies have come and gone, but others have continued to make progress toward their goal of developing commercial autonomous trucks.
- Autonomous Transport Trucks One Step Closer to Reality
Autonomous Transport Trucks One Step Closer to Reality Autonomous trucking,… Read more: Autonomous Transport Trucks One Step Closer to Reality - Understanding Rural Auto Shipping ServicesUnderstanding Rural Auto Shipping Services Living in a rural area… Read more: Understanding Rural Auto Shipping Services
- How to Deal with Delays in Auto Transport ServicesHow to Deal with Delays in Auto Transport Services Shipping… Read more: How to Deal with Delays in Auto Transport Services
