Federal Highway Administration National Dialogue on Highway Automation: September 5-6, 2018 Freight Workshop Summary
Key Takeaways
Safety and Efficiency Are Key Priorities for the Freight Industry and Its Customers
Safety is a key priority for the freight industry, so automation technologies will need to be assessed within the context of safety. Automation has the potential to address major safety concerns such as commercial driver fatigue and distraction, but it is unclear whether automation could also introduce new safety risks. Automation could also improve the efficiency of the freight industry by enabling truck platooning and other applications. Participants recommended undertaking research to understand potential efficiency gains.
Data Can Enhance Efficiency of AV Operations in Certain Roadway Environments
Having access to accurate and secure information about complex roadway environments and hazardous conditions could be useful for automated commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Real-time information regarding road closures, work zones, low bridges, and weight restrictions is critical for enabling safe and efficient freight operations. Automated CMVs could also leverage vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities to support effective data exchange with the roadway infrastructure or other roadway users.
New Roadway Infrastructure, Such as Designated Truck Lanes, Modified Interchanges, and Transfer Facilities May Be Needed
Inevitably, there will be a mixed fleet of vehicles including automated, non-automated, heavy vehicles, light vehicles, buses, etc., over time. Some workshop participants suggested designated truck lanes as an option for accommodating automated CMVs on public roads. In addition, they identified a possible need for freight transfer facilities along highways to facilitate the movement of freight from automated, long-haul vehicles to smaller, non-automated vehicles for last-mile delivery.
Research on Structural Loading Patterns of Automated CMVs and Their Impacts on the Roadway Infrastructure Is Key
Automated CMVs and truck platoons could have significant impacts on the maintenance of the existing roadway infrastructure. For example, the precise lane keeping of automated CMVs could accelerate roadway rutting. Another potential area of concern was whether truck platoons could exceed existing bridge weight ratings. There may be a need to explore these types of use cases to understand potential impacts on roadways and bridges. Overall, participants called for more research to evaluate the possible implications of automated CMVs for the maintenance and design of road and bridge infrastructure.
