Autonomous Truck News

About Autonomous News...

Autonomous technologies now drive significant change in trucking and freight transportation. Transport Topics autonomous coverage provides a comprehensive look at that change. It provides the latest details on deployment concepts such as advanced driver-assist systems, transfer hubs, teleoperations, platooning and off-road automation and latest analysis of the companies who are manufacturing, adopting and investing in these technologies. Readers can follow the impact such deployment has on everything from policy and infrastructure initiatives to highway congestion, fuel consumption, fleet management, driver management and business investment.

Editorial, Business, Government, Safety, Autonomous, Technology, Logistics

Editorial: A Useful Discussion on Safety

Last week, we cheered the apparent demise of a federal regulatory provision regarding hours of service. Now we’d like to salute a positive development: a recent discussion on truck safety before a Senate subcommittee.

March 20, 2017
Perspective, Business, Government, Safety, Technology, Equipment, Autonomous

Opinion: Effectively Utilizing Telematics Solutions

The electronic logging device mandate for tracking hours of service has brought a lot of attention to truck telematics, and many experts are providing advice on how to prepare for that transition. But one aspect of telematics that few are addressing is how underutilized most existing systems are. In my estimate, only three in 10 fleets are utilizing their telematics system to the max.

March 20, 2017
Perspective, Business, Government, Safety, Technology, Autonomous

Opinion: Eight Predictions for Our Industry

In 2008, I wrote an article where I described a future scenario in which a driver in a truck is leading a convoy of several driverless trucks. In 2011, I began predicting that we would have autonomous cars on the market and on the roadways by 2020. These predictions seem to be turning out better than my 2007 prediction that Apple would not get much market share in the cellphone business.

March 13, 2017
Letters to the Editor, Business, Autonomous, Government

Letters: Parking, Financial Goals, Important Issue

Trucking Industry Likely To Solve Parking Problem

March 13, 2017
Business, Technology, Autonomous

Waymo Alleges Former Self-Driving Engineer Plotted to Sell Trade Secrets to Uber

Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo alleged a former top self-driving car engineer plotted to sell trade secrets and talent to Uber Technologies Inc., according to an updated lawsuit filed March 10 against the ride-sharing company.

March 10, 2017
Business, Autonomous

Truck OEMs Tout Their SuperTruck Improvements

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Truck makers said they continue to reap huge benefits from the SuperTruck program, adding significant technology advances to their production models.

March 6, 2017
Business, Technology, Autonomous

Traditional Trucking Meets the 'Sharing Economy' With Miami Tech Startup Cargo42

Startup Spotlight: Through a simple-to-use app, Cargo42 provides companies an option to ship locally for a lower rate with trucks that have empty space in them. At the same time, trucking companies enjoy an additional revenue stream and maximize the trucks’ productivity.

March 6, 2017
Editorial, Business, Safety, Government, Autonomous, Logistics

Editorial: Week Spent Looking to the Future

Conference halls from coast to coast were teeming with talk of transportation last week, with no shortage of prognostications from industry leaders about what the future holds.

March 6, 2017
Perspective, Business, Government, Safety, Autonomous, Logistics, Technology, Equipment

Opinion: Virginia Increases Availability of TWICs at DMVs

As reported in Transport Topics in early December 2016, (12-12, pp. 4, 43) American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear told a roundtable of lawmakers at a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC, represents the future of secure transportation.

March 6, 2017
Government, Business, Technology, Safety, Fuel, Logistics, Autonomous

ATA Voices Support for New NACV Show

American Trucking Associations will be a supporter of the new North American Commercial Vehicle Show that debuts in Atlanta on Sept. 25-29.

February 27, 2017