Autonomous trucks offer a fantastic potential to increase the safety of our roads and relieve the mounting pressure on supply systems.
According to experts, since 2018, there have been almost 5,000 fatalities caused by huge trucks, with a record-breaking increase of 13% 2018. The great majority of these mishaps historically have been brought on by human mistakes.
According to a report by trucking industry experts, the top 10 problems affecting the trucking industry for 10 years running have been the shortage of drivers and employee retention.
The great majority of these mishaps historically have been brought on by human mistake. In addition to these safety worries, the trucking sector is experiencing a shortage of drivers. Long-term demand for drivers still exceeds supply despite recent initiatives to lower the entrance age. The expected retirement of hundreds of thousands of truckers over the next ten years is likely to make this situation worse.
The Society of Automotive Engineers has identified six degrees of autonomous driving, as follows: There are five levels of driver assistance: level 0, which provides no driver assistance; level 1, which provides driver assistance through a single feature, like cruise control; level 2, which uses ADAS systems; level 3, which offers conditional automation, where the vehicle can perform the majority of driving tasks but still needs human intervention; level 4, where the vehicle can perform all driving operations under certain conditions, though environmental infrastructure, like geofencing, is necessary; and level 5, which is full automation.
Even if self-driving trucks pose a hazard, drivers now have little to worry about. Shipping requirements are increasing as people include internet purchasing more frequently in their daily lives. Across the nation, there is now a need for more drivers.
Self-driving trucks are still in the research and development phase, so the combination of rising transportation demand and limited supply has created a perfect storm for logistics firms. Shipping costs skyrocketed after the adoption of electronic logging devices (ELDs) at the end of 2017 because no one, even the freight companies, was certain how the transition would happen. The charges have leveled out a little but are still higher as shippers and logistics providers have adjusted to the ELDs, which is obviously advantageous for the logistics providers.
Companies investing in self-driving technologies have time on their side. Most analysts concur that as autonomous trucks become more prevalent, the shipping industry will undergo a revolution that will benefit shippers but probably result in losing the majority of the 3.5 million truck driver employment. Truck driving jobs will gradually disappear over time because technology will only advance after a period of time. The first autonomous vehicles that are used on a regular basis won't necessarily be driverless either.
The first generation of these autonomous trucks will need a driver inside the cab, even though they won't be operating the vehicle. If the technology fails or for any other reason, the driver will be available to take control.
Experts in the trucking industry noted: “Some startups picture a fleet of vehicles that are mostly driverless but are occasionally driven by people. Startup company Peloton Technology is working to develop driverless vehicles that can interact with one another and follow a lead truck that has a human driver. Each vehicle may have a driver, but they won't have to have their hands on the wheel or feet on the pedals. They might be utilizing a laptop, completing paperwork, or getting some rest”.
One important feature of the AI technology used in autonomous vehicles is that it typically handles traffic conditions that frequently occur more easily. This makes it ideal for interstate highways since they are constructed to the same general standards and frequently have fewer risks and impediments, such as pedestrians, bikers, and children playing, that could confuse an AV driving an urban or suburban street. Due to the fact that the traffic surrounding them is traveling in the same direction, within a limited range of speeds, and is isolated from incoming traffic by a clearly defined median barrier, autonomous cars also frequently perform better on motorways.
Beyond enhancing present transportation procedures, autonomous driving technology is giving the sector completely new opportunities.
Experts said: “Most autonomous trucks will run on a hub-to-hub paradigm for the foreseeable future, with human drivers handling the route ends, which involve intricate urban streets, and autonomous trucks providing service for the middle of motorways. Using a national freight model, we discover that the hub-to-hub model offers significant potential, with a 25 billion mile long-distance dry van freight market that can be immediately serviced.
So, will automated trucks take the position of truck drivers? No, is the response. This new technology will not make driving obsolete in our lifetime or the one after.”
Most autonomous trucks will run on a hub-to-hub system for the foreseeable future, with human drivers handling trip ends that involve intricate urban streets and autonomous trucks providing middle-of-the-road service.
In addition, the case for autonomous transportation is also strong financially. Through labor savings and improvements in driving efficiency, autonomous driving technology might lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) of long-haul trucks by more than 30%. Due to the elimination of shift limits, trucks would no longer have to idle. At the same time, their drivers took a break, and more vehicles could be used, which would significantly increase productivity.
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