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I found this article by by David Z. Morris from Forbes online to be quite interesting.May 19,
2015
Fully automated trucks are at
least a decade away, but partial automation systems have major benefits.
The dream of a fully-automated semi
truck is getting closer to reality every day—earlier this month, for instance, Daimler announced that it would
begin testing an automated truck on public highways in Nevada. Thousands of
hours of testing and significant regulatory hurdles put practical automation at
least a decade away, but benefits are coming sooner from partial automation
systems that enhance the performance of human drivers and increase efficiency.
According to trucking analyst Andy
Ahern, 60% of wasted truck fuel is caused by driver overacceleration—for instance, hitting the gas on the
way down a hill, only to have to brake to slow down at the bottom.
Continental AG’s eHorizon system,
housed in a small unit that connects to trucks’ existing controls, works to
prevent that waste. It uses a topographical database to plan acceleration and
braking to take advantage of momentum on hills. The system can plan
acceleration decisions before a human driver can even see the hill around the
next bend.
Robert Gee, Continental’s head of
product management, says that eHorizon reduces overall fuel consumption by
around 3%. That might not add up to much for a small car, but it can save
around $2,000 worth of fuel for a single freight truck per year.
The technology is already deployed in
trucks manufactured by Sweden’s Scania AB, and Continental claims those trucks
have saved 16 million gallons of diesel fuel since 2012—that’s $62 million in savings. The American Trucking Association
counts 2.4 million semi trucks on the road in the U.S., so nationwide use of
such systems could save as much as 1.6 billion gallons of fuel and $4.8 billion
annually. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states that burning a
gallon of diesel fuel generates 22.38 pounds of atmospheric carbon, so using
such systems has the potential to cut truck emissions by more than 35 billion
pounds per year.
Another possibility for automated
efficiency is truck platooning. Truck drivers have known for decades about the
fuel-efficiency benefits of drafting—closely
following a leading truck to reduce wind resistance. But drafting is incredibly
dangerous. A human driver’s baseline reaction time is about half a second, not
nearly enough to respond to a braking truck just a few feet ahead.
Menlo Park-based Peloton Technology is
developing a system that would make drafting safer by linking adjacent trucks
into ‘platoons’ of two or more following a lead truck. A wireless
vehicle-to-vehicle communications link and automated braking would allow trucks
to respond nearly instantly to changes in speed. In tests conducted with a
fairly generous 36-foot follow distance, the North American Council for Freight
Efficiency found that trailing trucks burned 10% less fuel.
With persistent safety concerns, a worsening driver shortage, and fuel costs that
are once again rising, there’s plenty motivating the trucking industry to
incorporate more partial automated systems into its trucks.
As a broker, It is critical to stay informed on the trucking industry so I can adjust how I do business. I value the relationship I have with my clients, when I learn something that may effect our industry I pass it along.
Moving forward,
Jeff Roach
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