More shipping companies are currently looking for an option to automate their technology. Demand for goods is constantly rising and with COVID outrbreak, there appeared a danger of having not enough labor. That is why option of self-driving vehicles is very valuable, especially for companies that take care of transport.
What about when this technology will be available
This idea is being developed and tested in the United States. Considering that it is travel related, its routes must be analyzed. That creates a high geographical dependency of release. So one cannot just buy the product and apply it to his supply chains.
How would it work
Companies resigned from the idea of fully automated travel. For that, the algorithm would have to be very complex to create. People would want to find a temporary solution to ever rising demand as quickly as possible. That is why the model has been simplified. The truck is being operated by a human in urban and local space and self-drives on a highway. The truck after being loaded is transported by a human driver to a transfer hub, where the robot takes over and travels the highway to get to another hub. From there until the destination it is driven by a human again.
How is it better
The robot unlike human does not tire which transfers to many benefits. It can work longer and travel 24 hours a day, thus prolonging the covered distance and doubling the delivery capacity. Moreover it is ever vigilant of threats and is more likely to avoid road accidents. The truck also can maintain constant speed which reduces the overall costs of the fuel. Finally it decreases human involvement, which would be essential if there ever occurred a pandemic again.
My opinion
I think that besides creating the product it would also be needed to look into law issues. These trucks would often need to be traveling across states, or in future countries. Many of these do not even have regulated laws concerning automated vehicles. Even if they did, with crossing a border the law would change, thus creating an additional obstacle for creating an algorithm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are only benefits of this solution, only people did not know they would need this kind of tech right now. The only thing left to introduce this idea to life now is to test it in practice and spread it across the world.
Sources:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/future-of-mobility/autonomous-trucks-lead-the-way.html/#endnote-1
https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2017/12/11/Anheuser-Busch-orders-40-Tesla-electric-self-driving-trucks