Self-driving semi hits the road - CNNMoney
There will always be a licensed truck driver in the driver's seat but the Frieightliner Inspiration is designed and equipped to drive itself on limited access interstates. A human driver will take full control when the truck is in city and suburban driving situations. The Freightliner truck will stay in its lane and avoid hitting cars ahead with no driver input. Trucks like this could reduce driver fatigue, according to Freightliner executives, and allow drivers to be more productive. While the truck is going down the highway, the driver could safely attend to paperwork or plan the next trip, for instance. Automated trucks could also save fuel by driving in "platoons. " In this scenario, automated trucks, communicating with one another electronically, could drive in a tightly packed line behind a lead truck. Each following truck would ride in a sort of bubble created by the truck in front of it. Autonomous driving technology will, at some point, find its place in the in the trucking industry, said Wolfgang Bernhard, who heads Daimler's commercial... "From an industry standpoint, it's going to be a question of cost versus benefit," said Ted Scott, director of engineering for the American Trucking Association, a group that represents the trucking industry. Source: money.cnn.com
