Categories
Autonomous Vehicles, New Mobility & the Built Environment

Keep on Trucking With Automation #AVS17


With the headlines screaming the potential loss of millions of jobs, one of the more timely panels at Automated Vehicle Symposium 2017 (AVS17) was on the impact of autonomy on the trucking industry. Richard Bishop of Bishop Consulting, led a panel at AVS17 that brought together a broad swath of the trucking ecosystem, including one of the larger carriers (US Express), its trade organization (American Trucking Association), a traditional truck manufacturer (Volvo Group), technology players (Uber and Peloton Technology) and regulator (FMCSA).

Bishop and his panel provided a good counterpoint to the superficial view that automation means the imminent demise of the truck driving profession. Jobs will be lost, but the shortage of drivers will somewhat counterbalance the effects of automation. New roles and new types of trucks will be created, such as the autonomous  “impact protection vehicle” that is being tested as a way to protect highway workers.

The role of the truck driver will transition from clutching a wheel to being more of a technician keeping the rigs operating. As such, the jobs will require more technical sophistication, while often performed in a much more comfortable environment, such as a network operations center.

Richard Bishop's take on where automation in the trucking industry stands at AVS17.
Richard Bishop’s Considerations for Automated Truck Policy at AVS17.

And the trucking industry will improve efficiency by leveraging automation. Bishop points out that the trucking industry has multiple niches and has already adopted autonomy in applications on private property, such as moving trailers in a distribution or hauling ore in mining operations. The above video shows how autonomy added to a truck allows for more precise driving for harvesting crops, which means less waste and less damage to irrigation pipes.

Platooning was another hotly discussed topic on Bishop’s panel. This software defined transportation solution promises 5 to 10% better fuel efficiency and Bishop indicates that platooning will be applicable for both short and long-haul use-cases and it could common place within the next decade.

The regulatory framework could slow the pace and the implementation of automation in the trucking industry. For instance, the website SSTi, reports that, “unions representing truck drivers successfully lobbied the House to exempt commercial trucks from the ‘highly automated vehicle’ definition the law affects for the time being.” The International Transportation Forum, a European Inter-governmental organization, suggests actively managing the transition “to avoid potential social disruptions from job losses”.

But, as Dr. Aravind Kailas of the Volvo Group said many of the job obsoleted by automation technology will those that aren’t that desirable. Max Fuller, executive chairman of US Xpress, further put things in perspective as to the overall importance of continuing down the automation path when he stated that, “This is not about replacing drivers, but it is about safety and being more efficient (which will lead to lower costs for consumers).

Author Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

By Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

Ken Pyle is Marketing Director for the Broadband Forum. The mission of this 25+-year-old non-profit “is to unlock the potential for new markets and profitable revenue growth by leveraging new technologies and standards in the home, intelligent small business, and multi-user infrastructure of the broadband network.”

He is also co-founder of Viodi, LLC and Managing Editor of the Viodi View, a publication focused on the rural broadband ecosystem, autonomous vehicles, and electric aviation. He has edited and produced numerous multimedia projects for NTCA, US Telecom and Viodi. Pyle is the producer of Viodi’s Local Content Workshop, the Video Production Crash Course at NAB, as well as ViodiTV. He has been intimately involved in Viodi’s consulting projects and has created processes for clients to use for their PPV and VOD operations, as well authored reports on the independent telco market.

Linked In Profile

One reply on “Keep on Trucking With Automation #AVS17”

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.