AI / ML
Whether for personal use , within the shipping industry or even for motorsport , autonomous vehicles are already becoming increasingly used and accepted . In 2021 , self-driving vehicles travelled approximately four million miles in California alone , which was double the previous year ’ s total , with usage only increasing since then .
Many of these miles were completed by non-commercial vehicles , but the trucking industry – in the US and beyond – is well positioned to reap the benefits of autonomous vehicle ( AV ) technology .
“ A critical factor is the ability of AV providers and fleet operators to identify the most appropriate routes on which to trial and ultimately operate their autonomous commercial vehicles ,” explains a report by Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ).
Safety is one of the major drivers in the push for AV trucks . According to statistics from Uber Freight , more than 5,000 lives were lost in large-truck crashes in 2019 , including those of 892 truck drivers and occupants . Around one-third of these accidents occurred on interstates , freeways , and expressways – all roadways on which AV trucking solutions work best .
Of these fatal accidents , just 13 % were caused by vehicular or environmental factors . The remaining 87 % were caused by driver error around performance ( 21 %), decisions ( 38 %), and recognition ( 28 %).
AV technology has the potential to address such safety issues , says Mazen Danaf , Senior Applied Scientist & Economist at Uber Freight .
Danaf focuses on analysing the truck transportation landscape , and produces long-term forecasts based on supply and demand indicators . He is also a research affiliate with the Intelligent Transportation
“ We envision a bright future for the trucking industry , where truck drivers and selfdriving trucks connect long-haul and local-haul routes ”
MAZEN DANAF SENIOR APPLIED SCIENTIST & ECONOMIST , UBER FREIGHT
140 October 2023