A recent blog post discussed the introduction of truck platooning and whether or not it would be beneficial to truck drivers and the road transport industry. Peloton Technology was recently granted approval to conduct trials on Australian roads, but what exactly is platooning and should we embrace it? Platooning is when a number of trucks closely follow each other and are connected via vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the “follower” trucks either having a driver or no driver at all. The first or lead truck driver usually does most of the driving. One of the major benefits of platooning is better fuel efficiency as trucks will follow each other closely, with an estimated 15% saving on fuel. It can also improve safety and result in financial benefits for operators, less drivers means saving on labour costs. But then there is the concern for loss of jobs. The article goes on to discuss some of the issues we’ll need to address before platooning can be introduced on Australian roads including communication, impact on infrastructure, benefits and challenges. As the writer points out, continuous communication between vehicles will be key, with vehicles connected through a Wi-Fi connection.  Security is one of the concerns that will need to be addressed relating to continuous communication via Wi-Fi,

The reliability and security of vehicle to vehicle communication is key in platooning. If the communication link is being (at least partially) relied upon for safety-critical matters like braking, it must be reliable. Fail-safes must also kick in if the communication link is dropped. Security from malicious parties is also an issue – one can imagine a scenario where people might try to steal the last truck by electronically “disconnecting” or taking it over. There’s also the issue of sufficient spectrum allocation for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a topic of active research focus. Source: https://theconversation.com/coming-soon-to-a-highway-near-you-truck-platooning-87748

Some models of platooning will require changes to infrastructure, such as augmentation with extra sensors, dedicated roads and even inland ports.This will require a huge investment by governments and the industry, who will have to determine whether this investment will be worth it. One of the major benefits that will likely be highlighted by those pushing for platooning to be introduced is the potential safety benefits.

Safety is also better in some circumstances. For example, when the lead truck brakes for an obstacle, the trailing trucks can brake simultaneously, instead of waiting for a human driver to visually realise the truck in front is slowing. Source: https://theconversation.com/coming-soon-to-a-highway-near-you-truck-platooning-87748

Whether or not we approve, internationally trialing is taking place and here in Australia trialing will commence soon, enabling us to develop a more informed opinion. To learn more read the full post on https://theconversation.com/coming-soon-to-a-highway-near-you-truck-platooning-87748