Autonomous trucking has long been heralded as the answer to a variety of persistent supply chain ills, including hours of service constraints, underutilized assets and wasted miles driven without a load and growing labor shortages. Once regarded as a thing of the far-off future, autonomous technology is becoming an attainable reality quicker than anyone expected. Trucking companies hoping to utilize this technology most effectively should begin making strategic changes to their operating models today or they run the risk of not being prepared for tomorrow.
Locomation has made a name for itself with its human-guided Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARC), the first step on the road to full autonomy. An ARC system consists of two autonomy-capable trucks with one driver in each truck. Each driver takes turns actively leading the convoy, fully engaged in the function of driving, while the driver in the follower truck rests in the sleeper berth while the vehicle drives in autonomous follower mode.