The Future of Truck Platooning

Truck platooning, which uses technologies that allow for two or more trucks to communicate wirelessly while remaining in close proximity, has the touted benefits of reducing congestion, cutting down on accidents caused by human-error and significantly decreasing CO2 emissions by making use of tailwind drafts leading to reductions in fuel usage by up to 10 percent.

Per the American Trucking Associations (ATA), long-haul trucking currently accounts for approximately 70 percent of all freight movement within the continental U.S. A quick back of envelope calculation reveals that by moving to platooning, the trucking industry could save around $4.3 billion annually in fuel costs alone. In 2006, class 8 trucks logged an aggregate 139.3 billion miles, divided by average 8 miles per gallon and multiplied by the average price of diesel $2.49 per gallon. This is not counting the savings resulting from fewer accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the annual cost to the economy of truck and bus crashes to be $99 billion in 2013. Equally significant is the environmental benefits resulting from a heavily reduced carbon footprint.

Earlier this spring, DAF, Daimler, Iveco, MAN, Scania, and Volvo all participated in the EU Truck Platooning Challenge. Truck platoons started from locations including Sweden, Germany, and Belgium as early as March 29 and made their way across the continent to Rotterdam, Netherlands, arriving successfully April 6. Subsequently, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) in May published a roadmap toward the full introduction of truck platooning on public roads by 2023.

As promising as the idea of truck platooning is, the road ahead toward full commercialization of the technology is fraught with uphill challenges including gaining widespread public acceptance, minimizing disruptions to normal traffic flows, and harmonizing a patchwork of local and national governmental rules and regulations. In the U.S., Nevada became the first state in 2015 to create autonomous vehicle regulations. Michigan state leaders as well have shown to be eager supporters of the new technology. However, this is not true for all states. North Carolina State Senate leaders recently delayed a vote on a bill to allow commercial trucks to platoon, citing potential safety concerns. For long-haul truck platooning to a commercial reality within the U.S., more states need to pass legislation allowing for the adoption of the technology and usage on commercial roads. Otherwise, if confined to within state lines with disconnected borders, platooning will not be practical nor attainable from an economic standpoint.

Regulations aside, one of the most anticipated benefits of commercialized truck automation is its potential to alleviate the shortage of drivers, especially long-haul truckload which is projected by ATA to exceed 100,000 heading into 2017. However, most companies currently investing in truck platooning are developing technologies that require a need for a backup driver who can manually take full control of the truck when needed. It is therefore likely that in the foreseeable future, without the technology progressing to full automation, platooning will help address safety concerns such as driver fatigue, but driver shortages will continue to persist in the U.S.

Overall, while truck platooning present numerous benefits, the technology still has long ways to go before reality can catch up with the envisioned full potential.

Jenny Chen

References:

Abramson, Howard. “Opinion | The Trucks Are Killing Us.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/opinion/the-trucks-are-killing-us.html.

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