Autonomous Technologies Could Mean ‘Transformational’ Change in Trucking
ORLANDO – Automated vehicle technologies, vehicle electrification, and the rise of transportation as a service (think ride-share services like Uber and Lyft) are creating a “transformational change” in the transportation industry. But what does that mean for trucking?
Self-proclaimed technologist Larry Burns looked at some of the possibilities in a presentation at the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition Sunday.
During his 1998-2009 tenure heading up R&D at General Motors, Burns was a proponent for the safety benefits of self-driving vehicles. Today he advises companies such as Google and Peloton, governments and research institutions on transportation, energy, and advanced technology.
Since motorized vehicles were first invented in the late 1800s, he noted, although we’ve seen an evolution of the technology, essentially today’s cars and trucks have the same DNA as their predecessors. They’re mechanically driven with an internal combustion engine using oil-based fuel and operate with a human at the controls.
“As you combine autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and transportation as a service, you get safer, more convenient, more productive, more personalized, and more affordable transportation services,” he said.
It’s a new age of “automobility,” he said. But what does that mean for trucking?
Unlike the passenger car business, which has been a gradual evolution, Burns observed, trucking’s growth has been triggered by events, such as regulations, the development of the interstate highway system, containerized shipping, the energy crisis, etc. Burns believes the next big event to significantly transform trucking will be autonomous trucks, and he pointed to companies such as Mercedes, Tesla, Peloton and Waymo who apparently do also.
“I can’t predict your future,” he said, but aimed to offer a look at what’s possible, noting, “I’m a technologist.”
Safer trucking. “90% of crashes are caused by driver error. Advanced driver assistance systems are offering near-term benefits,” he said. “Longer term, autonomous driving systems and connected …Read the rest of this story
