AI / ML and attractive to drivers , Europe could see a shortfall of two million drivers by 2026 , impacting half of all EU freight movements .
“ Lifestyle issues are largely to blame for truckers leaving the industry ,” says Sanaf . “ The hours are long and gruelling , and trucking keeps drivers away from home for up to 200 nights a year .”
Sanaf says self-driving solutions will help address this issue , as well as others faced by haulage drivers , including pay issues , because autonomous trucking can deliver a higher rate of pay per hour spent at the wheel .
AV tech can also help address other industry pain points , such as lack of parking facilities , congestion problems and , as mentioned already , road safety .
“ Uber Freight has been leveraging technology to address some of these issues ,” says Danaf . “ For example , we have laid the groundwork for seamless trailer handoffs between autonomous trucks and human drivers with Powerloop , a drop-and-hook trailer solution .
Self-driving trucks for long-distance freight , a stepping stone for full autonomy In terms of AT systems , Danaf says automated commercial transport will operate under a hub-to-hub model .
“ Human drivers will handle the trip ends , which involve complex urban streets and manual operations at facilities , such as loading , unloading , gate entrance , and documentation ,” he explains . “ ATs will service the middle part of the trip .”
He adds : “ Under this model , a driver picks up a preloaded trailer from the shipper ’ s facility and delivers it to a transfer hub located close to the Highway – also known as the ‘ first mile ’.
“ The trailer then gets hooked to an AT , which drives on the highway to another
“ This model is a stepping stone toward full autonomy ”
MAZEN DANAF SENIOR APPLIED SCIENTIST & ECONOMIST , UBER FREIGHT
transfer hub located near the receiver ’ s facility . This step is referred to as the middle mile .
“ At the second transfer hub , another driver picks up the trailer and delivers it to its final destination . This is the last mile .”
Sanaf says the hub-to-hub model allows AT developers and carriers to launch commercial operations earlier “ before transitioning to a depot-to-depot service ”.
At the same time , he says it adds capacity where it ’ s needed most – in long-distance trucking – as well as providing a better lifestyle to truck drivers .
“ This model is a stepping stone toward full autonomy ,” Sanaf says . “ It allows AT developers to start generating revenues in their early years of operation .
“ This will provide them with a revenue stream that can sustain the development of self-driving technology instead of relying exclusively on external investment , in order to expand their capabilities beyond highway driving .”
Looking to the future , Sanaf expects autonomous trucking to expand “ gradually throughout the US interstate system ”. In the short term , he feels weather , regulations , and autonomy capabilities “ will dictate the lanes on which ATs will operate ”. In the long term , he says , “ commercial opportunities and technological developments will drive expansion strategies ”.
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