Silicon Valley startups, technologists, and venture capitalists see great potential in the technology - even more than most traditional trucking companies are supporting.

For months, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has put out teasers that the electric carmaker will soon reveal an electric semi-truck with autonomous capabilities. That announcement may take place this week, on November 16.

Embark, a Silicon Valley start-up, is scheduled to release details next week on its self-driving technology for trucking. The automated system has tested in partnership with truck-leasing company Ryder and Electrolux, an appliance manufacturer. Trial runs are exploring the potential of transporting trailers to Electrolux’s California warehouses with autonomous trucks.

CB Insight, which tracks venture capital, reports that companies will place about $1 billion in commercial truck autonomous systems this year, 10 times the level of spending three years ago.

The $700 billion trucking industry continues to be an integral part of the U.S. economy, and that of other economic giants and developing countries around the world. With more manufacturing happening overseas in places like China, trucking is part of making sure everything from automobiles to packaged food products make it to warehouses and end users on time.

Trucking companies and giants who invest heavily in logistics—like Amazon and Walmart—see great potential in cutting costs and speeding up delivery times. That will come via cutting labor costs when truck drivers no longer become necessary, and by extending the hours that commercial trucks can be kept in operation.

Companies also believe that traffic accidents will be reduced when autonomous vehicles become widely adopted for passenger and cargo transport.

Insurance premiums are expected to go down, along with collision repair costs. Autonomous driving is expected to be much safer than what’s delivered by human drivers.

Waymo and other tech companies and automakers currently testing out self-driving cars are preparing to play a part in developing cities around the world. Government officials, employers, and residents in these cities hope that self-driving cars will eventually reduce the number of cars on the streets and make them safer with less car crashes.

Self-driving cars face tougher challenges navigating through crowded, chaotic city streets—and face even tougher regulatory hurdles to cross. Cargo trucks spend most of their time traveling down broad, open highways with much less traffic.

There’s also the practicality of several trucks “platooning” together on highways that simplifying the equation over companies like Waymo dealing with crowded cities and higher risk for collisions.

Volvo Trucks sees great potential in utilizing platooning systems for cost savings and achieving more efficiency in freight hauling. One autonomous truck can lead a platoon with two or more trucks following close behind, taking advantage of the aerodynamic efficiency.

The company successfully demonstrated on-highway truck platooning in California during March 2017. An alliance was set up for the trial run with Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH) at the University of California, Berkeley, to test three Volvo VNL 670 model tractors hauling cargo containers at the Los Angeles Port complex and along Interstate 110.

Volvo sees opportunities in achieving fuel savings, improving highway safety, and increasing the capacity of transportation systems.
:zerohedge

Brian Ross wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 3:02pm:



Yeah. Especially those people not on a rail route. Horse and cart to the final destination?

lee wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 3:17pm:


Obvious - build more railways.

Railways are better equipped to handle long-distance, city to city distribution than trucks.  Rails are designed to withstand the loads and punishment, roads are not.  Trucks constitute a traffic hazard - particularly with over-tired and over-worked truckies.    There will always be a place for trucks and truckies on short routes, intra-city distribution.

Also, remember the US is not Oz.  Downunder, we have more sensible road laws.  Driverless trucks and cars will not be allowed initially. 

They want 'cities' to become automated computer networks.
No-one need drive a car to work, when the car drives itself.

Yep - Science is turning everyone into 'physical' plebs - totally dependent like physically handicapped people.

Brian Ross wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 3:30pm:


Whaleoilbeefhooked ... I'm n complete agreeance with you Brian.

But I'm rail biased.

hatman92 wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 5:11pm:


Each truck depot will have a geeky Bill Gates type with thick glasses and goofy teeth sitting in front of a computer console ~ and HE'LL be the one who will be tasered if he tries to resist arrest.

Brian Ross wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 5:17pm:



You mean East-West positioned across America or North South? You are going to need some type of grid structure. Or maybe let the railroads snake all over the country; although that wouldn't appear to be a cost effective option.

USA - 2680 miles E-W. 1582 miles N-S

At 100miles apart you would need about 26 lines E-W and 15 lines N-S.

And then truck to smaller towns not on the rail route.

Brian Ross wrote on Nov 15^th, 2017 at 5:38pm:


Even though they have shut some rail routes the Yanks still have more than us.

We have shut down far to many regional rail lines in Australia .... courtesy of both sides of politics.

Rail pioneered this country and it should be still our major transporter of all freight ... especially dangerous goods.

I believe that the NZ system is that everything goes by rail .. and is only trucked from railheads to places without rail ... so trucking distances are short.