Around 1.7 million citizens work in the trucking industry. While it will be a while before fully automated eighteen-wheelers make their way onto the road, technology is revolutionizing many aspects of trucking.
Some of the most important aspects are reducing operating costs and improving quality-of-life metrics for truckers. This is accomplished through automation on the highways and human drivers completing the non-highway legs of trips. Check out Wealth Accelerators to learn more about trucking automation.
Safety
Trucking automation can help make driving a truck safer. Some of the same automated systems that allow passenger vehicles to drive themselves on highways can be used in trucks to monitor driver performance and alert them if they are veering off course or exceeding speed limits. This system is not a replacement for human drivers but instead provides the extra help that truckers need to remain safe and focused on their jobs.
These systems can also be useful for improving driving efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. By allowing trucking companies to maximize their routes and eliminate the need for drivers to stop, they can reduce costs related to the transport of goods. This can have a positive impact on the environment as well.
The safety features of trucking automation can be very valuable to truckers who are often exposed to dangerous conditions on the road. For example, lane departure warning systems can alert the driver when they are veering off their lane. This feature can greatly reduce the number of accidents that occur as a result of this common mistake.
Other safety features, such as real-time GPS tracking, can allow fleet managers to see where their trucks are on the road at all times. This can be important in the event of a breakdown or other emergency that requires immediate response.
Another way that trucking automation can improve safety is by allowing trucks to form convoys on the highway and follow one another closely. This can significantly reduce the amount of fuel that they need to use and also prevent accidents caused by blind spots and sudden lane changes. These systems can be particularly helpful in crowded traffic areas where trucks are frequently moving in and out of the lane.
Efficiency
Trucking automation isn’t meant to replace human drivers but to reduce their workload and improve working conditions. In addition, this technology should also increase safety on the roads. Ultimately, it’s expected that trucking automation will help to alleviate the current national driver shortage. However, it won’t do so by eliminating the need for new drivers; rather, it will complement trucking operations by making driving safer and more attractive to humans.
In the long haul segment, trucking automation can save both time and money by enabling trucks to travel without stopping for breaks or to make deliveries. Additionally, this technology can optimize routes, which can lead to a reduction in fuel costs and lower emissions. Overall, these savings are expected to benefit freight companies by lowering transportation costs and increasing productivity.
Currently, most trucking automation is limited to specific aspects of the industry, such as highway platooning. It’s unlikely that this technology will be deployed in its full form over the next decade, but it is likely to grow over time as more companies invest in it.
The first step for most trucking operations will be implementing advanced driver-assist systems, which can be used to assist human drivers in many ways, including steering, lane changing, and speed adjustment. This type of trucking automation will likely be introduced over the coming years and will have a significant impact on efficiency in both urban and rural areas.
Eventually, trucking automation will be capable of handling much of the heavy lifting on the highway, such as navigating road construction, traffic jams, and bad weather. However, the logistics of delivering goods to local customers will require human drivers for a while. These drivers will probably be hired by large fleets and owner-operators to work as transfer hubs, and teleoperators, or to handle last-mile delivery services.
Reliability
The trucking industry relies on a huge network of trucks to carry all the things you see and use around you. From electronics and furniture to food, clothing, and toiletries, nearly everything you own or use was delivered by a truck at some point. This is why reliability and efficiency are so important for the success of trucking operations.
With the truck driver shortage in full effect, automation could be a helpful solution for many companies. While it wouldn’t replace the need for human drivers, it would allow for more freight to be hauled while cutting costs by lowering insurance and fuel costs. In addition, the ability of automated vehicles to work faster and more consistently than humans means that freight can be delivered on time and in a safer way.
There are several different types of trucking automation. The first is level 1 automation, which is what most passenger cars have today. This includes features like automated steering, cruise control, and lane departure warnings. Level 2 automation is when a driver is onboard, but they don’t have to actively control the vehicle. This includes things like overtaking a slow-moving vehicle and accelerating or braking based on traffic conditions.
Some companies are testing level 3 automation for long-haul trucking. This involves a truck driving itself on highways under certain conditions, but it will still require a driver to be onboard for the more complex urban and suburban segments of the journey at both ends. Embark, one company working on this type of trucking automation has been testing their AVs in snowy weather to demonstrate their technology’s capability in rough conditions.
However, it’s important to note that even with the advancement of this technology, long-haul trucking isn’t likely to go fully automated anytime soon. It’s unlikely that any AV will reach level 5 automation within the next decade or so. This is due to the sheer number of miles that must be driven for a trip to be completed.
Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits of trucking automation is its ability to streamline and improve trucking operations. For example, automated trucks can help reduce inventory costs by using data to optimize routes and drive more efficiently. It can also allow trucks to travel longer distances in a single day, reducing the number of stops needed. In addition, it can help businesses save money by lowering fuel consumption and reducing emissions.
In addition, automated trucks can help companies reduce their accounting costs by reducing the need for manual paperwork and payments. Currently, many trucking companies and owner-operators use paper invoices, which can cause delays in receiving payment, leaving them with less cash on hand to cover overhead expenses. Automation can help solve this problem by allowing trucks to send digital invoices and track their progress online. In addition, it can help trucking companies and owner-operators make better business decisions by allowing them to view performance metrics such as speed, efficiency, and profitability.
However, it’s important to note that the primary goal of trucking automation isn’t replacing human drivers. It’s about complementing them, making the job easier, safer, and more appealing. This will ultimately help alleviate the truck driver shortage by improving working conditions and attracting younger people to the industry. It may take some time before we see full-scale truck automation, but as technology continues to develop and evolve, it will become a reality sooner than we think. Ultimately, it will revolutionize commerce for decades to come. For more information about how you can optimize your trucking business with automation, reach out to our team today! We’re a leading freight factoring company that can help you increase your cash flow and achieve your business goals.
Economy
Trucking automation offers numerous economic benefits for freight shippers. For example, because computers don’t need to stop for bathroom breaks or naptimes, they can travel much more quickly and efficiently than human drivers. This faster speed also improves overall fuel efficiency, which can significantly cut costs for both trucking companies and their customers. It also alleviates a significant portion of the stress associated with long-haul highway driving, which can be taxing on both a driver’s body and mental health.
Trucks that can operate 24/7 will radically reshape supply chain operations. As ATs eliminate cyclicality caused by human calendars, shipping and production schedules for factories and warehouses will no longer depend on driver availability. ATs can be scheduled for peak traffic times while leaving slack in off-peak hours, improving the flow of goods and increasing productivity.
Lastly, automation can simplify complicated accounting for trucking companies and owner-operators. Many trucking businesses are steeped in a tradition of staggered payment schedules, which can create a significant lag between invoices and revenue. In this way, automated trucks can help fleets and owner-operators optimize cash flow so they can spend more on maintenance, training, and other operational improvements.
The current state of trucking automation varies widely, with several different models on the horizon. For example, some companies are working to automate the long-haul highway driving aspect of trucking by creating transfer hubs that connect truckers with available loads, whereas others have developed technologies for “platooning,” which allows trucks to drive nearby while using a short-range wireless connection to control each other’s speed and braking, reducing both energy consumption and risk.
A recent study found that deploying these kinds of technological solutions could increase the economy by more than $6.5 billion and grow wages for workers without prompting mass truck driver layoffs. This is a promising sign that the technology can address some of the most pressing problems in the industry, including route matching, dispatching, and other technically challenging aspects of trucking.
