Truck platooning is a form of autonomous driving where one truck can lead another truck. The trucks are able to follow very closely together because some software helps link everyone up so when the lead one turns or hits the break the others know to do the same. Makes a big train basically of unattached trucks. All the trucks would still have a trained driver.
“Truck platooning can benefit freight companies and professional drivers alike through safer, more fuel-efficient operations,” said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks vice president of marketing and brand management. “Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is pivotal for platooning systems; it helps reduce the reaction time for braking and enables vehicles to follow closer. Reducing the traveling distance between vehicles not only reduces the aerodynamic drag, but also allows for greater highway utilization, thereby helping to alleviate traffic congestion.”
This type of automation is pretty cool. I imagine that a single driver could driver further with a lot less stress and fatigue. This is one of the best ways I have heard of to integrate the driver assisted truck to the freight industry. It would be pretty cool to see like 50 owner ops getting together to platoon down the highway. I wonder if it will be rude to platoon without asking? Will your truck be able to just know if the truck in front of you has it turned on and just fall into line behind them? What if the guy in front is going to to slow? How do you get out of the line if you are in the middle?
I would like to see software that links up owner operators to form mile long chains of trucks enabling them to leap frog every few hours to change the lead truck. Think about if it took off We could have 10 mile trains of trucks all in communication. What if you could get in line and turn on a autopilot button. Would it be legal to watch a movie or do some paperwork or mess around on the phone?