The Road to Regulations
are prompting continued legislative
and regulatory response. Most of our
attention is focused on the transformation
of passenger cars from the human to
the machine, but advancements in
commercial trucking are just as important.
Autonomous trucks work just like their
smaller autonomous car counterparts by
using cameras, as well as sensory and
radar systems to navigate and share similar
benefits namely, improved safety and
better fuel efficiency. The financial benefits
of self-driving trucks far outweigh those of
passenger cars and place them at a clear
advantage in the race to the roadways.
and a vital part of the economy and
supply chain. According to the American
Trucking Association (ATA), trucks carry
more than 70 percent of goods shipped
around the United States. Among the
findings in the annual compendium of
data about the trucking industry, the
ATA American Trucking Trends 2018,
was that the trucking industry generated
$700.1 billion in annual revenue in
2017. Consequently, researchers and
financiers suggest that trucks equipped
with autonomous technology slated to
make them safer, more reliable and
more efficient, also have tremendous
potential to influence and improve the
economy and workforce. Because of this,
several concepts for the deployment of
autonomous trucks have been proposed,
including "Driver Assist Evolution,"
"Transfer-Hub Model," "Teleoperation,"
"Platooning" and "Private Site."
The first concept is the "Driver
Assist Evolution," and many trucking
fleets are already equipped with some of
this technology. Rather than taking the
driver out of the truck, the "Driver Assist
Evolution" approach merely expands
upon active safety technology with the
goal of assisting the driver in transporting
freight more safely and efficiently. The
new technology augments safety functions,
such as lane-departure warnings and
adaptive cruise control, to include more
advanced safety system technologies,
including automated steering functions and
emergency braking systems.
The "Transfer-Hub Model" is arguably
one of the leading concepts in this area
because it limits autonomous trucks to
major freeways where truck driving is
easier to automate.
"Transfer-Hub Model" does not remove the
role of the truck driver altogether. Instead,
autonomous trucks haul freight across long
distances to and from transfer hubs located
at exits on freeways, while allowing truck
drivers to continue to handle driving duties
associated with the more desirable local
and regional deliveries.
Another concept involves deploying
trucks that drive autonomously while being
monitored and overseen by remote drivers.
This concept, known as "Teleoperation,"
takes the driver out of the truck and places
him/her in an office where he/she can
"drive" the truck remotely. For instance,
if it becomes necessary for the truck to
change lanes, or avoid an obstacle on
the roadway, due to an unforeseen event,
and the machine fails to do so, the driver
working remotely, using on-board cameras
to ensure that it is safe to do so, can make
the lane change or direct that the truck
make the lane change.
Through the next concept called
"Platooning," multiple trucks drive in
unison in a tight, aerodynamic convoy
allowing each truck to draft off the one
in front of it to dramatically reduce fuel
usage. As this technology evolves, a single
driver could "drive" multiple trucks at
once by digitally tethering to the trucks
in its platoon. Back up or safety drivers
may also be part of the equation while
the platoon is active, depending upon the
fleet's automated steering, accelerating and
braking capabilities.
The final concept, "Private Site," which
involves the deployment of automated
trucks on private or restricted sites without
cross traffic, pedestrians or cyclists,
Avallone Aviles, LLP. She represents clients
in all facets of casualty defense litigation,
focusing on the representation of individuals,
corporations, professionals and municipalities in
transportation law and complex civil litigation.
One CA Plaza
Suite 225
Islandia, New York 11749
lewisjohs.com