Drones, hyperloops, robots. In pursuit of more efficient and lower-cost logistics, companies have been investing in novelties that are already on the market or will arrive in the near future. In Europe, the novelty for the month of April was the driverless truck convoys that left Sweden, Belgium and Germany for the port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. The trip is the first of its kind on the continent and marks a new step in what could be an important evolution in land cargo transport.
Video 1 – Learn a little more about the driverless truck train project
Source: European Truck Platooning
called European Truck Platooning Challenge (in a free translation, European Train Truck Challenge), the project has the participation of six of the main European truck assemblers – DAF, Daimler, Iveco, MAN, Scania and Volvo – and the support of the Dutch government which, currently holds the Presidency of the European Union. After the success of the first test, the working group analyzes the next steps to make the initiative truly commercial.
Photo – Convoy of driverless trucks crossing Europe
Source: European Truck Platooning Disclosure
Some barriers still need to be overcome for driverless truck convoys to become a reality. The first is the lack of regulation on driverless transport. The legislative particularities of each country also hinder the development of the project, as well as the differences in communication technology existing between the truck assemblers themselves.
As you can see, the difficulties require much more understanding between the different parties than the emergence of a new technology, which makes it viable in the near future. In fact, driverless truck convoys use technologies such as radar, GPS and cameras that are already widespread, in addition to Wi-Fi, used for communication between vehicles. In the project, the convoy is led by a vehicle with a driver, who dictates the route and the pace of the trip and, in the test, all trucks had people behind the wheel, to guarantee safety.
In countries like Brazil, where labor costs are high and there is a limitation on the number of hours driven by the truck driver, the convoy could bring about an important cost reduction, in addition to increasing the use of the truck. Another advantage of a truck without a driver is that it allows the convoy to travel at constant speeds, reducing diesel consumption and the emission of polluting gases.
Companies such as Unilever and Jumbo supermarkets, from the Netherlands, are already discussing with European governments and the transport sectors how to use the train in their day-to-day operations. Although, around here, a driverless truck seems to be a somewhat utopian solution due to all the problems with our precarious infrastructure, it is interesting to see how technology can be used for the benefit of society.
Video 2 – Understand driverless truck convoy technology
Source: European Truck Platooning
References:
Alexandre Lobo
https://ilos.com.brGraduated in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and in Social Communication from Faculdades Integradas Hélio Alonso (FACHA). Expertise in several projects with emphasis on market analysis for companies such as Unilever, Intertank, Invepar, Aqces, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank.
