Platooning Passes Real-world Tests; New Company Emerges As Leader

Passenger car drivers who happened to be on I-84 recently between Portland, Oregon, and Nampa, Idaho, might have found themselves griping about "those dang trucks" driving too close together – forcing them to have to pass two trucks at a time instead of just the one.

Platooning passes real-world tests; new company emerges as leader

My only thoughts on this is that the first time the system fails and it will, you’ll have several destroyed trucks, dead truck drivers and who knows what other carnage when the remote controlled trucks are now completely out of control due to no driver behind the wheel.

My only thoughts on this is that the first time the system fails and it will, you’ll have several destroyed trucks, dead truck drivers and who knows what other carnage when the remote controlled trucks are now completely out of control due to no driver behind the wheel.

I feel the same way. Platooning will work until it doesn't, and then you'll have a catastrophe. The risk/reward isn't worth it. If they want the benefits of aerodynamics, then allow for "truck trains" like they have in Australia. That way you don't have all of those individual trucks as a potential point of failure, you only have one tractor pulling a line of trailers. Anything that big and heavy has the potential for carnage but platooning a series of individual trucks seems far more risky.

You would never convince me to get in a truck that's platooning with other trucks. No way.

Come to think of it, I’m going to go get my law degree. I’ll wait for the first catastrophic accident and then file 4 lawsuits. One against the tech company, one against the trucking company using it, one for truck manufacturer and one against the insurance company for being dumb enough to allow it. After which I’ll retire on a private island.

I agree

My only thoughts on this is that the first time the system fails and it will, you’ll have several destroyed trucks, dead truck drivers and who knows what other carnage when the remote controlled trucks are now completely out of control due to no driver behind the wheel.

Seems like unnecessary risk. Why not just let one tractor pull multiple trailers?

It will cost less to pay additional drivers, with additional trucks, trailers, fuel, and all other associated costs than the lawsuit settlement after the first catastrophe.

Mark my words.

Seems like unnecessary risk. Why not just let one tractor pull multiple trailers?

Agreed. Like Australia's 'Trailer Trains' as Brett mentioned, or Canada's B and C trains. Sheesh.

I also think it’s kind of funny to think that if you’re in the second truck, your expected to sleep while your truck drives it’s self at highway speeds...

I would have terrible anxiety having to trust the computer software in the truck to get me where I’m going safely.

I would have terrible anxiety having to trust the computer software in the truck to get me where I’m going safely.

Yeah, no kidding. We can hardly use our phones or computers without hiccups; the Bluetooth won't connect or something locks up and you need to restart the system. I think this entire self-driving vehicle thing is absurd, and I write software myself. It's easy to convince people who don't write software or design complex systems that this technology is just around the corner. But heck, in the 60's The Jetsons had everyone convinced robots would do everything and technology would solve every problem. Unfortunately, here I am in 2020 and I'm still mowing my lawn and taking my garbage to the curb.

Show me an autonomous lawnmower that can figure out anyone's yard without human intervention and trash cans that can roll themselves to the curb and maybe I'll believe we're only 50 years away from truly autonomous vehicles navigating the highways without human intervention.