Skip to main content

New research identifies impact of autonomous vehicles on trucking industry

A new report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) identifies the potential impacts of autonomous vehicle technology on the trucking industry, which include significant safety and productivity benefits that may result from autonomous technology adoption. The analysis mapped potential autonomous vehicle impacts to the trucking industry's top ten issues as surveyed annually by ATRI. From hours-of-service to the driver shortage to driver health and wellness, benefits and challenges to co
November 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A new report from the 5478 American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) identifies the potential impacts of autonomous vehicle technology on the trucking industry, which include significant safety and productivity benefits that may result from autonomous technology adoption.  

The analysis mapped potential autonomous vehicle impacts to the trucking industry's top ten issues as surveyed annually by ATRI.  From hours-of-service to the driver shortage to driver health and wellness, benefits and challenges to commercial drivers and motor carriers were identified across the top ten issues.  For instance, ATRI identified numerous changes to the hours-of-service regulations and the ELD mandate that would allow commercial drivers to improve safety and productivity through autonomous vehicle operation.  

These improvements, however, will require federal leadership and significant input from the trucking industry.  ATRI's research also documents a number of potential public sector impediments to autonomous truck deployment including poor infrastructure quality, uncertainties related to tort law, and the possible need for federal pre-emption.

"ATRI's research underscores how critical it is that the trucking industry has a seat at the table as autonomous vehicle issues are debated," said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. "These impacts will be real and have significant consequences for the entire supply chain if they are not deliberately and thoughtfully approached with input from all stakeholders.  Now is the time to make sure that autonomous vehicle technology is a win-win for the economy."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IBTTA: industry must commit to trust and accountability
    August 23, 2018
    Without a commitment to trust and accountability, the modern road tolling industry would not have the bedrock which it requires – and which customers demand, says IBTTA’s Bill Cramer When Tim Stewart, executive director of Colorado’s E-470 Public Highway Authority, settled on ‘trust and accountability’ as the themes for his year as IBTTA president, it was a very deliberate choice. Stewart was looking for language that would help deliver the global tolling industry’s message of service excellence to cust
  • Polarisation is glaringly obvious, says Sony
    December 3, 2018
    Glare from the sun is a factor in a large number of road accidents – many of them fatal. But there is a solution at hand: using polarisation can mitigate the effect of glare and improve ITS camera enforcement, explains Stephane Clauss The effect of glare on driver safety has been well documented. A 2013 UK study by the country’s largest driver organisation, the AA, calculated sun glare was a contributing cause in almost 3,000 road accidents in 2012 alone. This represented one in 33 accidents on Britain’s
  • Making the case for ALPR in enforcement
    February 2, 2012
    Federal Signal's Brian Shockley uses examples from around the world to make the case for the greater use of automatic license plate recognition technology in the US. It is time, he says, to consider the possibilities of a national network and the use of average speed enforcement
  • Telematics standards need to evolve to keep up with technology
    July 30, 2012
    Scott Andrews and Scott McCormick take a look at how standards development for the telematics environment needs itself to evolve in order to stay abreast of technological advances. While the road has been somewhat arduous, telematics has evolved from a research activity to a resource for fleet operators, consumers and road management authorities.