Use of autonomous vehicles and drones expected to rise in US transportation industry

A recent B2B technology survey by ABI Research of 455 US-based companies across nine verticals finds that 30 per cent of transportation industry respondents plan to introduce robotics into their business operations within the next year, with another 22 per cent actively assessing the technology. Despite notable near-term progress in robotics deployments among the respondents to support e-commerce and delivery growth, their lack of familiarity with nascent technologies such as AR, blockchain, 5G, autonomous
August 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

A recent B2B technology survey by 5725 ABI Research of 455 US-based companies across nine verticals finds that 30 per cent of transportation industry respondents plan to introduce robotics into their business operations within the next year, with another 22 per cent actively assessing the technology. Despite notable near-term progress in robotics deployments among the respondents to support e-commerce and delivery growth, their lack of familiarity with nascent technologies such as AR, blockchain, 5G, autonomous vehicles, AI, and the related ecosystem for transportation technologies is impacting potential adoption.

"Transportation providers may view intelligent transportation technologies as solutions to evolve their existing transportation operations versus opportunities for developing new revenue streams and business models," says Susan Beardslee, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "These players also show concern for legacy systems integration and comprehension of the complexity/fragmentation of their supply chain."

Survey respondents find that intelligent transportation technology benefits are frequently linked to promoting workforce collaboration, centralised IT and operations frameworks, as well as workforce mobility. Primary barriers to adoption include data security and privacy concerns, alignment with existing legacy framework, and associated costs of technology adoption. Respondents also expect limited impact of delivery drones over the next two years; 40 per cent do not see a role for this in their businesses within that timeframe. 

"The results deliver validation that notable challenges remain to digitise, automate, and transform the transportation industry, especially with the very long tail of owner-operators and small fleets," concludes Beardslee. "Support of emerging technologies draws mixed reactions, with Over the Air building awareness. But respondents still see other compelling technologies, such as gateways, as nascent to the transportation industry. We expect to see this increase soon to effectively link vehicles and assets to operations."

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Vehicle logistics sector must evolve digitally, says ECG
    October 28, 2016
    Around 270 delegates at the annual conference of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG) on 20 and 21 October heard that the industry must embrace the accelerating shift towards digitalised processes and e-commerce in order to meet changing customer expectations and ultimately survive. The vehicle logistics sector must keep pace with the innovative rapid technological development in the wider automotive industry. However, legal uncertainty and a lack of uniform implementation of existing Europea
    Read More
  • Commercial telematics consolidation
    April 18, 2012
    The long awaited and much needed commercial telematics consolidation movement is finally coming to fruition, according to ABI Research. With Trimble’s acquisition of PeopleNet and Masternaut and Cybit combining forces, the extremely fragmented commercial telematics industry, which consists of hundreds of locally active players, is consolidating to become more globally-minded. These changes will allow the fleet management industry to grow towards yearly global revenues of US$6.43 billion by 2016.
    Read More
  • Autonomous vehicles – saviour and threat, says report
    November 1, 2016
    A new report from IDTechEx Research notes that autonomous vehicles need no pilot, not even one in reserve. Many truly autonomous vehicles are unmanned mobile robots prowling everywhere from the ocean depths to nuclear power stations, the upper atmosphere and outer space. They create billion dollar businesses such as aircraft and airships aloft for five to ten years on sunshine alone carrying out surveillance or beaming the internet to the 4.5 billion people who lack it. Independence of energy and electri
    Read More
  • Trailer telematics a catalyst for fleet optimisation, Finds Frost & Sullivan
    July 2, 2012
    The trailer telematics market is fast developing into a major growth engine for the commercial vehicles telematics market in Europe. Immense opportunities await telematics vendors as a majority of the trailer population in Europe (as well as North America) remains underpenetrated. Within the trailer telematics market, trailer location and tracking is the most developed application. However, security concerns and the need for effective mobile asset monitoring and management are creating several new applicati
    Read More

Highlighted Content