What to expect from intelligent trucks
The transportation industry is undergoing a revolution which will dramatically shift the design of future commercial vehicles. Within 5 years, trucks will look much different and they will be most likely become a commodity for the supply chain.
Automated and digitized trucks offer great promises especially for safety. With over 85% of all road traffic accidents caused in part by human error, fully and partially automated vehicles should make roads significantly safer. However, the introduction of new technologies will raise new challenges that need to be addressed.
When can we expect the first generation of automated trucks on our roads? Where will this be introduced first? Should we foresee a gradual implementation of partially automated technologies (e.g. adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation solutions, and lane control systems) or will be leapfrogging with fully automated vehicles? What is the low-hanging fruit for safety? How much will these technologies cost transport operators? Will technology alone be sufficient to achieve a Vision Zero?