The trucking industry being mired in a driver shortage has raised the level of interest in artificial intelligence-enabled trucks with autonomous capabilities. Owners and executives of motor carriers see untapped potential to improve operating efficiencies, safety and productivity.
Several technology companies have been testing self-driving trucks in real-world conditions for several years. Drivers are in the vehicles now, but the switch could flip to full autonomous mode as early as 2023, experts say.
With the future of self-driving trucks coming into sharper focus, technology companies are working on applications to digitize the full transportation ecosystem to automate steps, like inspecting vehicles and exchanging paperwork, which until now have required human involvement.
One of the frontrunners in the race to full, scalable deployment of autonomous technology is Plus. In 2016 the company started working on a driverless system that would meet the SAE definition of Level 4 autonomy.
In 2018, Plus completed a pilot test of a driverless truck in China. The company's product, PlusDrive, can be installed in trucks today to improve safety and fuel efficiency.
“The truck was able to fully operate in that scenario,” said David Liu, chief executive and co-founder of Plus. Before starting the company, Liu built several tech companies and has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering.
