Sharing the Roadway with Self-Driving Trucks
It seems every mode of transportation is making its way toward increased autonomy these days. Look to the skies and you might see an autonomous helicopter one day. Look to the roadways and soon you’ll see autonomous cars. As each mode of passenger transportation becomes increasingly autonomous, other industries are also looking to technology to decrease costs and increase safety. This includes the commercial trucking industry, for which self-driving vehicles could be a way to address the driver shortage, cut fleet costs, and improve efficiency. With self-driving trucks and platooning vehicles (a method of reducing distance between vehicles traveling together to increase roadway capacity) already being tested on the roads, motorists across the U.S. could be sharing highway space with semi-autonomous trucks in the very near future. In fact, some already are.
The Benefits of Autonomous Trucks
Autonomous (self-driving) and semi-autonomous commercial trucks may not get the same media attention as self-driving cars because they directly affect fewer people and don’t generate the same level of interest. Technology is revolutionizing the trucking industry, however, and in many ways, it makes more sense to automate commercial trucks than passenger vehicles.
The reason is logistics. Big rigs do the majority of their travel on highways, where there are fewer obstacles such as pedestrians, controlled intersections, and cross traffic to navigate through. On the highway a tractor-trailer can drive for miles without having to stop, make a decision at an intersection, respond to a light, or maneuver around pedestrians or other motorists. Furthermore, many trucks travel the same route, while companies try to find ways to increase fuel efficiency and decrease costs.
Consider how early automation affected highway travel: many passenger vehicles use cruise control, which helps with fuel efficiency and reduces the need for constant speed adjustments by drivers. It’s a feature with benefits that are most apparent on highways, where drivers make the most use of it. The same is true of many of the automation features in semi-trucks. Situations where the drivers generally have to make fewer decisions also lend themselves to increased automation.
The result is trucks that are at least semi-autonomous, which means drivers can do other things while the trucks handle the task of driving. Truck drivers can rest, focus on paperwork, or take care of other duties, then take over when they’re needed. Meanwhile, the trucks are programmed to navigate and respond to highway driving conditions.
Automation is classified on a scale of 0 to 5. At Level 0, a vehicle has no automation. At Level 5, the vehicle is fully automated with no human input. In other words, a Level 5 vehicle can drive effectively and safely with no human driver anywhere onboard. Most semi-automated vehicles sit at around Level 2 and Level 3, which is limited self-driving. Semi-autonomous big rigs that use the technology on highways are classified as Level 4.
Automated Truck Platooning
A significant benefit to autonomous and semi-autonomous trucks is the ability to platoon. Platooning happens when a series of trucks use automated technologies to allow them to follow each other closely, increasing efficiency and decreasing fuel consumption.
Among other things, trucking safety relies on an important variable: the driver’s reaction time. If all the trucks in a platoon have drivers, when the first truck comes across an accident or has to stop suddenly for some reason, the drivers behind must see the truck has slowed down or stopped, process this information, and then respond quickly enough to slow down or stop their truck in time. The driver’s reaction time has an important effect on causing or preventing an accident. This makes platooning in a short span virtually impossible when all the trucks have drivers.
With automation, the first truck might still require a driver, but the following trucks are programmed to respond to inputs from the lead truck. If the lead truck slows down, the following trucks automatically slow down to match the speed. If the lead truck slams on the brakes, the following trucks do, too, using an automatic emergency braking system. Reaction time is reduced from seconds to nano or milliseconds, decreasing the possibility of an accident. Because the trucks are automated, they can follow each other even more closely than those with drivers, with as little as 40 feet between them in some states. This increases efficiency and saves fuel costs.
For platooning to work properly, trucks must have two vital components: automatic emergency braking and vehicle-to-vehicle communications via radio-based technology. With those two factors, trucking companies can use platooning to lessen aerodynamic drag, decrease fuel consumption, and cut back on tailpipe emissions.
Although only 10 states have so far signed on to allow platooning at 40 feet — albeit some with exceptions — experts feel the shift will continue and more states will sign on.
Companies Involved in Autonomous Trucking
Recognizing the economic benefits of automating trucking — either fully or partially — a few companies have jumped on board in the push to offer autonomous trucks. It’s not just the fuel costs that lead companies to act: the trucking industry faces a shortage of approximately 50,000 long-haul drivers. Automated trucks would not only address that shortage, they would also improve drivers’ ability to get rest while on the road, helping companies meet hours-of-service regulations.
A variety of companies are vying to lead the way into autonomous trucking. Perhaps the most talked about is Tesla, but Waymo, Kodiak, and Starsky are also working on technology, with some already testing their trucks in real-world scenarios.
Tesla
Tesla is working on a semi-autonomous, completely electric big rig with autopilot functions to revolutionize the commercial trucking industry. The trucks are run by four massive batteries, which can move a truck anywhere from 300 to 500 miles, depending on the size of the batteries. Meanwhile, four motors power four wheels along the truck’s rear axles. Thanks to the four independent motors, Tesla guarantees the trucks, which can run only two of the four motors, will not break down for 1 million miles of travel. Because the trucks run on battery power, Tesla estimates companies could save $200,000 in fuel costs over two years.
What Features Does the Tesla Semi Truck Offer?
A Tesla truck has enhanced autopilot, lane control, collision warnings, and emergency brake applications. It can also call emergency services if it receives no response from the driver to alerts. For those concerned about speed, the truck can go from 0–60 miles per hour in five seconds when empty or 20 seconds when full. Making the driver’s life easier, there are no gears to worry about. With a low center of gravity, the truck has less chance of a rollover during an accident than typical semi-trucks.
How Much Will a Tesla Semi-Truck Cost?
Depending on the battery size, it runs anywhere from US $150,000 to $180,000. That cost hasn’t stopped some companies from showing interest. UPS, Pepsi Co., Sysco, Anheuser-Busch, Wal-mart and DHL have already ordered Tesla semi-trucks.
The first Tesla trucks are set for production in 2019, with the company already asking for permission to test the vehicles in Nevada and California. A Tesla semi-autonomous truck prototype has already been spotted on the roads, and the first truck routes are expected to be moving cargo from the G1 factory in Nevada to Tesla’s Fremont California factory.
Waymo
Having worked on autonomous vehicles for 10 years now, Waymo (owned by Alphabet, which also owns Google) could be considered the grandfather of self-driving autos. The company is most frequently associated with self-driving cars, which it’s already testing in Phoenix to the tune of approximately 400 rides per day. Waymo officials, however, say they’re not about vehicles. Instead, they say they’re building safe auto-drivers that can be used in various ways, including passenger vehicles and commercial trucks.
In March, Waymo announced that its autonomous tractor trailers, which began testing in California and Arizona in 2017, would begin deliveries for Google’s Atlanta centers. While still having drivers, Waymo’s trucks use many of the same sensors that the company uses on its self-driving passenger vehicles, including LiDAR and RADAR, to complete deliveries.
“Over the past year, we’ve been conducting road tests of Waymo’s self-driving trucks in California and Arizona,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Our software is learning to drive big rigs in much the same way a human driver would after years of driving passenger cars. The principles are the same, but things like braking, turning, and blind spots are different with a fully-loaded truck and trailer.”
In announcing its self-driving trucks, Waymo noted that while it had 5 million miles of self-driving on public roads, it had 5 billion miles of driving in simulation.
“Trucking is a vital part of the American economy, and we believe self-driving technology has the potential to make this sector safer and even stronger,” the company noted.
Embark
Founded in 2016, Embark is looking at ways to automate the freeway portion of a tractor-trailer’s journey. The company relies on drivers to navigate town and city roads, and automation on the freeway. Company vehicles have shipped refrigerators on the I-10 freeway between El Paso, Texas, and Palm Springs, California. Meanwhile, the company also completed a 2,400 mile coast-to-coast trip autonomously.
Kodiak
Kodiak only got its start in April 2018, but it’s already turning heads, raising $40 million in financing. That’s partially because its co-founder is none other than Don Burnette, who was formerly of Otto (the company purchased by Uber, before Uber shut down its trucking division). Burnette wanted to continue focusing on trucking, so Kodiak was born. Much like other trucks, a Kodiak truck combines a variety of technologies — including light detection, cameras and LiDAR — to allow driverless trucks on the highways.
“We believe self-driving trucks will likely be the first autonomous vehicles to support a viable business model, and we are proud to have the support of such high-profile investors to help us execute on our plan,” Burnette said to TechCrunch.
Starsky Robotics
Although many companies envision semi-autonomous trucks self-driving on freeways and having an in-person driver in cities, Starsky Robotics sees the potential for remote operation by people at teleoperation centers who will control the vehicles for the first and last miles of their deliveries — essentially, between highway exits and distribution centers — with everything else to be automated. In 2018, Starsky tested its self-driving tractor-trailers in Hendry County, Florida, on a closed 7-mile road. That test made Starsky the first company to test an autonomous truck on the road without a driver in the vehicle.
The company has said it would like to complete its first delivery using a fully driverless truck by the end of 2018. The truck is designed to come to a stop if it loses its connection with the teleoperations center.
Uber Drops Out of the Autonomous Truck Race
Uber is one of the leaders in self-driving technology. Having mastered ride-sharing, the company saw a way for autonomous vehicles to enhance their business. It then moved into self-driving trucks when it purchased a company called Otto in 2016. That purchase resulted in an intellectual property lawsuit filed against Uber by Google. Initially, Uber moved forward with self-driving truck development, but in July 2018, the company announced it would no longer focus on self-driving trucks, choosing instead to specialize in cars.
Are More Semi-Autonomous Trucks Coming Your Way?
With so many companies advancing autonomous truck technology, and with the industry closely watching to see how the trucks will affect their profits and fleet performance, it’s a sure bet there will be more fully- and semi-autonomous trucks sharing the roadways in the very near future.
Sources
https://www.wired.com/story/kodiak-self-driving-semi-trucks/
https://slate.com/technology/2018/07/ubers-self-driving-truck-program-is-shutting-down.html
https://www.ccjdigital.com/ubers-ride-autonomous-trucking/
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/15/self-driving-truck-startup-kodiak-robotics-raises-40-million/
https://okeechobeenews.net/community-news/self-driving-semi-trailer-tested-in-hendry-county/
https://jalopnik.com/truck-driving-jobs-wont-be-significantly-impacted-by-au-1828221063
https://futurism.com/teslas-autonomous-semi-truck-spotted-california-highway/
https://www.trucks.com/2018/08/15/governors-group-autonomous-vehicle-safety-education/
https://www.trucks.com/2018/07/25/cei-truck-platooning-regulation-shift/
