Everything You Need to Know About Self-Driving Trucks – First Part

Self-driving trucks are rapidly evolving and quickly becoming a reality. Numerous governments, big players in the private sector, and truck manufacturers continue to invest heavily in perfecting this technology. To keep you from getting left behind, here’s everything you need to know about self-driving trucks.

What Are Self-Driving Trucks?

Self-driving trucks or autonomous trucks have been called the most impactful technology on the horizon. They will bring a near-perfect safety record and operate without being subject to the DOT restrictions of time, distance, or logging that would typically apply.
This way, self-driving trucks will thoroughly satisfy the increasing demand for shipping caused by online shopping without compromising safety. Merely the idea of autonomous trucks has unions up in arms: they are expected to permanently eliminate 500,000 jobs from human drivers by the time they are here.
Many players are trying to perfect the technology and prove their product against all possible use cases. Researchers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a battery with enough power capable of breaking the 1,000-mile barrier.
Of course, there still needs to be a lot of work on perfecting self driving technology so it functions perfectly in all weather conditions on highways, including extreme weather. In the meantime, governments are tweaking public policy to cover artificially intelligent driving.
Trials have seen tens of thousands of miles of autonomous driving without an incident, but the challenge remains in achieving such an outcome during exceptional circumstances.

Advantages of Autonomous Trucks

For a few decades now, the United States government has consistently invested in technology that powers autonomous trucks. Autonomous truck technology will be viable in the next few years, and it is clear that the advantages far outweigh all threats or risks.
Besides, autonomous driving has long been seen as a marathon, not a sprint, in transportation circles. Therefore, the advantages will continue to improve.

Improved efficiency

Autonomous semi trucks can maximize the performance of the logistics industry both in terms of fuel efficiency and time. This is, of course, best done by a computer making decisions.
Additionally, your fleet utilization would be far more efficient, given a load would take much less time to deliver — especially for long-haul trucking. Your trips also won’t depend on driver availability and other human factors.
Automated driving systems would end drive-related errors — for example, making a wrong turn or missing a shortcut — ultimately saving your company money.
What’s more, some truck drivers choose their preferred route when allowed to do so, which can harm efficiency. An automated truck will always select the most efficient route.

Trucks operating during off-peak hours

Rush-hour congestion and travel restrictions in major cities can significantly impact your delivery schedule. One of the advantages of driverless semi trucks is that you can easily take advantage of off-peak hours with minimal traffic.
Driving in the dead of night is risky since it can quickly induce drowsiness on long-haul trips: a danger to your investment, your clients’ freight, your driver, and other drivers on the road.
With self-driving semi trucks, your fleet can keep on trucking without the need for your driver to park at a rest stop for the night. Likewise, self-driving semi-trucks can easily traffic data and maps from the web to navigate congested city streets, avoiding unnecessary stress and delays.

Fewer to no breaks

The DOT is busy working on improved regulations that will cover driverless semi trucks and robots. The immediate implication is that fleet managers don’t have to worry about their truck drivers complying with stringent logging requirements.
When it comes to efficiency, the driver is the weakest link: all other transportation systems, including your driverless semi-truck, are capable of round-the-clock operations, letting them embark on a run whenever the need arises.
Your fleet is better off getting off the highway quickly, allowing you to use fewer trucks for the same number of loads. Besides, travel during off-peak hours can be rewarding because you can take advantage of low-traffic conditions.

Better safety record

The premise of a 100% safety record comes from the infallibility of autonomous vehicles. However, there have been reports of incidents where such technology has fallen short, resulting in deadly accidents.
Once automated trucks stop being baffled in exceptional circumstances, including extreme weather, missing traffic signs, excessive traffic, low light conditions, etc., the sight of a driverless truck would almost be reassuring. It could also result in substantial savings in settlements, insurance claims, accident repairs, and lost time.

Reduced overall expenditures

Improved safety comes from excellent driving, resulting in lower wear and tear. This translates into significant savings on maintenance costs and periodic repair bills. Additionally, lower fuel consumption means lower fuel expenses that can trickle down the supply chain. Successful autonomous trucking will result in a revolution in transportation, with nearly all of it in your favor as a fleet manager.