Testing autonomous trucks is more complex than it seems. The men and women sitting in the left seat of the nation's burgeoning fleet of robotic trucks are often called safety drivers. Their responsibilities are far more comprehensive than just keeping the truck out of trouble.
Manufacturers are partnering with telematics providers to allow access to data from OEMs’ factory-installed modems. Meanwhile, Ford has introduced its own telematics system that takes advantage of its factory modem to maximize the depth and breadth of that data for fleets.
Recently, UPS dipped its toes a little deeper into the electric truck market with the acquisition of a Freightliner eCascadia battery-electric Class 8 truck.
A hybridized work truck fleet provides a cost-effective, eco-conscious way for organizations to achieve an idle-free green fleet without sacrificing range.
The middle mile in the supply chain is ripe for efficiency gains, while its repeatable routes make it a fit for early autonomous transportation adoption. Gatik’s Sam Saad explains when, how, and why.
While the future of electrification infrastructure is DC fast charging, some fleets may never need it. James Kennedy of Tritium explains the decision process.
When comparing propane to electric, fleets should examine factors around emissions, economics, and fueling.
While agnostic on deployment models and vague on timelines for deployment, Waymo is clear — its end goal is to be a technology provider, not a truck manufacturer or fleet owner.
New forms of sharing technology allow fleet operators — from corporate and rental fleets to motor pools — to increase utilization and recoup costs.
“Everyone comes into fleet electrification talking about hardware, and they leave talking about software workflow and project management,” says Michael Hughes of ChargePoint.
In the survey, conducted by Wakefield Research for telematics provider Samsara, 32% believe fleets will be one quarter electric within five years, while 50% believe in 10 years.
Issues forced on us from the pandemic — such as managing passenger loads on public transit, pedestrian-only city streets, and demand for cashless transactions — will present new opportunities for traditional and startup transportation players alike.
The largest windfalls from autonomous services won’t come from making driverless cars or advertising in them. Look instead to what Google does best when disrupting and democratizing technology.
Starsky Robotics had to give up on its goal of truly driverless trucks earlier this year after failing to secure additional needed funding. HDT Equipment Editor Jim Park recently spoke to founder Stefan Seltz-Axmacher about what happened and why true self-driving truck technology may be harder than we think.
Confused by artificial intelligence terms? Here's a glossary of some of the most common.
