It was reported recently in Transport Topics that the research arm of investment bank Morgan Stanley has completed a comprehensive study on the effects of driverless (autonomous) trucks. They estimated that the trucking industry could save $168 billion annually. $70 billion of that number is a savings in labor and $36 billion is a savings in accident reduction. And with the "driver shortage" that the ATA and big carriers are always talking about, it's a no brainer that this is coming to a trucking terminal near you!
The benefits of this technology to freight delivery are far greater than that of the driverless car that I talked about in my last blog. With that fact, the technology will be adopted far faster according to the article in Transport Topics. Con-Way Freight is already working with University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in a study of semi-autonomous vehicles. This is a configuration where a human-driven truck leads a convoy of driverless trucks that tackle the line haul operation. Once the convoy arrives to the urban area destination, it would have to be manually broken down and each unit delivered by humans. Just typing that last sentence seems very weird. It reminds me of some of the futuristic science fiction movies that I've seen.
Right off the bat, I can see how the LTL companies could benefit from this technology without any major logistical changes. Their pickup and delivery operations would remain in place, however the line haul operation to the hubs would be handled in this new fashion. The truckload sector would be the next operation to fall into place. Who really knows how it'll all pan out right now, but I assure you that the large carriers are keeping a watchful eye on this technology.
Here are a few more advantages of this technology for our industry:
- Fuel savings of 15% to 20% - the driverless trucks will probably be powered from the rear and be pushed for better aerodynamics. The units will follow one another very closely because they're operating in a systematic way
- Reduction in labor - the trucks can roll 24/7. HOS not a factor.
- An estimated 30% productivity gain for the trucking industry
- Increased safety due to reduced chance of human error
Last summer, the Wall Street Journal ran a story titled, "Daddy, What was a truck driver?" It can be found by following this link. I just found the article as I researched the subject. The story talks about the advantages to the industry and doubting truck drivers just as I expected. I'm not sure that the truck driver will go the way of the buggy whip manufacturers just yet, but I wholeheartedly believe that our presence will slowly start diminishing in the next 15 years as that's the expected time line of implementation. In the meantime, if you plan on working as a driver in our industry beyond the next 15 years, you'd better start making yourself irreplaceable and adding skills to your toolbox that will keep you in demand!