September 20 2017 Autonomous and Semi-autonomous Trucks Introduction Autonomous trucks potentially offer significant freight transportation savings for the U S economy Trucks carry about three-quarters of U S freight when measured by cargo weight or value Driver compensation represents either the largest or second-largest cost component for truck carriers depending on the price of fuel Fuel and driver compensation typically each account for about one-third of total operating costs A truck driver may not drive for more than 11 hours per day under federal regulations so it is difficult for carriers to improve labor productivity except by using larger trucks Also because driver error is the overwhelming cause of vehicle accidents automation that reduces accident rates could improve public safety Despite the economic motivation many in the trucking industry doubt whether driverless trucks are feasible in the foreseeable future given the current horizon of autonomous technology An alternative scenario at least for the next decade or two is that truck driver jobs may come to resemble those of airline pilots in that drivers would spend part of their time monitoring an autonomous driving system rather than directly controlling the vehicle at all times The skills of truck drivers when backing up an 18-wheeler to a warehouse or driving on local roads may be irreplaceable In addition some carriers may not be eager to forgo personal contact between drivers and customers which may create sales opportunities While development of automated trucks faces many of the same challenges as development of automated cars such as cybersecurity for computerized control systems and spectrum availability for communications there are also unique issues The weight of a fully loaded truck at times more than 80 000 pounds makes the vehicle difficult to control especially at highway speeds Shredded truck tires are a common sight on highways autonomous control technology will need to be able to cope with tire blowouts Economic factors will also affect the pace at which truck manufacturers install autonomous vehicle technology Manufacturers often customize trucks for specific customers for example and trucking firms are not likely to invest in costly technology that may not function flawlessly in snow ice fog and other difficult conditions Insurance is another significant cost element for trucking firms and their customers fully autonomous trucks are unlikely to be adopted until insurers offer them insurance rates no higher than those for conventional trucks Automobile drivers may view driving ease and comfort as the primary benefits of autonomous technology This is also relevant to trucking because exceptionally high driver turnover has plagued the industry However for motor carriers the technology will primarily be judged on whether it can bring about cost savings When considering the potential adoption rate of autonomous technology it is important to recognize the different sectors of the industry Autonomous technology is primarily geared toward long-distance tractor-trailer trucks as opposed to cement and dump trucks moving locally for construction projects or intra-city delivery trucks The longdistance tractor-trailer segment is composed of companies both with large fleets and with just one or a handful of trucks Tens of thousands of such smaller carriers carry a substantial portion of highway freight but may lack the resources to install the latest equipment Large fleet operators generally have the financial means to adopt new technologies and may view doing so as an opportunity to gain advantage over smaller competitors Challenges to Autonomous Trucking Truck Platooning Deployment of autonomous trucks involves many technologies similar or identical to those being used to increase automation of passenger cars See CRS Report R44940 Issues in Autonomous Vehicle Deployment by Bill Canis Important technologies for trucking include Although an autonomous truck delivering a load of beer in Colorado received widespread publicity in October 2016 it appears that truck “platooning” is receiving more widespread testing than fully autonomous trucking Platooning is a form of semi-autonomous operation that could be a precursor to fully autonomous trucking Platooning involves one or more trucks following closely behind a lead truck see Figure 1 linked by wireless communication This configuration reduces wind resistance thereby saving fuel around 10% for a following truck 5% for the lead truck  automatic braking that uses cameras and radar to detect objects in front of a truck  lane departure warning sensors  air disc brakes as opposed to drum brakes that allow for shorter braking distance and  automatic transmissions relatively new on heavy trucks that facilitate use of driver assistance technology All the trucks in a platoon have drivers but only the driver of the lead truck is in full control of the vehicle The drivers in the following trucks steer their vehicles but their feet are off the accelerator and brake because truck speed is controlled by wireless communication from the lead truck https crsreports congress gov Autonomous and Semi-autonomous Trucks This communication reduces the braking response times of the following trucks and therefore allows trucks to follow closely enough to more significantly reduce wind resistance With this technology braking among the trucks in a platoon is essentially synchronized A forward-facing camera in the lead truck allows drivers in the following trucks to see the road ahead of the lead truck so that a driver can disengage from the platoon if highway conditions make that desirable Figure 1 Truck Platooning Source CRS modification of figure from http www overdriveonline com Synchronized braking requires that all trucks in a platoon have good tires and well-maintained brakes Poor road conditions such as snow and ice are still a safety concern Platooning is most worthwhile on limited-access roads in flat rural areas where trucks can travel at high speeds the fuel savings are much less at low speeds In principle the drivers of any properly equipped trucks traveling in the same direction could agree to platoon but coordination problems complicate platooning by trucks under separate ownership assignment of liability should accidents involve platooning trucks from more than one trucking firm is uncertain and each company would prefer its trucks to follow rather than lead the platoon in order to enjoy greater fuel savings For this reason platooning is likely to be most attractive to large fleets that have sufficient and consistent business over a given corridor It is possible that platooning could evolve into a system in which the first truck with a driver at the wheel leads a number of driverless trucks At the moment however most tests appear to involve only one lead and one follower truck tests with multiple trucks and then driverless trucks lie in the future Road tests of platooning first require that state laws prohibiting tailgating be waived About 20 states are in the process of developing rules allowing for tests of truck platooning and several states have already done so The Federal Role intrastate motor carriers Four agencies within the U S Department of Transportation are the principal regulators of the trucking industry 1 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA regulates truck drivers and trucking firms This includes driver training requirements limits on hours of driving and safety inspections of trucks on the road Autonomous technology may significantly change the qualifications required of truck safety inspectors In April 2017 FMCSA held a public listening session to solicit information on issues related to the design development testing and deployment of automated commercial vehicles see Docket No FMCSA-2017-0114 http www regulations gov The agency is working on guidelines for allowing testing and demonstrations of autonomous truck technology 2 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA regulates safety equipment required on trucks such as electronic stability control and speed limiters NHTSA recently updated its policy document concerning the testing and development of automated vehicles which is also relevant to trucks 82 Federal Register 43321 September 15 2017 3 The Federal Highway Administration regulates the maximum weight of trucks on the Interstate Highway System and the allowable dimensions of trucks over a national network of truck routes It also overseas vehicle-to-infrastructure communication as well as any other highwayrelated infrastructure that supports autonomous vehicles such as road markings and signs 4 The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration imposes additional safety regulations on trucks carrying hazardous materials Legislation Congress is evaluating to what extent federal policy should assist autonomous vehicle technology by granting exemptions to certain federal requirements that otherwise would impede testing and demonstrations of these vehicles Congress is also considering preempting states from issuing certain regulations that are contrary to federal regulations or contrary to other states’ regulations in order to avoid differing state requirements Whether to include trucks in autonomous vehicle legislation was debated during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee on September 13 2017 The House-passed SELF DRIVE Act H R 3388 which would establish a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle development specifically excluded trucks §13 a 1 C John Frittelli Specialist in Transportation Policy Federal regulation of trucking is focused on interstate trucking activity states have more leeway in regulating https crsreports congress gov IF10737 Autonomous and Semi-autonomous Trucks Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service CRS CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role CRS Reports as a work of the United States Government are not subject to copyright protection in the United States Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS However as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material https crsreports congress gov IF10737 · VERSION 2 · NEW