Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/649008
March 2016 | Overdrive | 39 ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY POINT TOWARD HOURS RELIEF T echnological advanc- es over the next two to three decades could massage one of owner-operators' biggest pain points: hours of service regulations seen as too restrictive for truckers' productivity and too rigid for their highly variable schedules. As technology increasingly automates basic driver duties, driv- ers' jobs could become less tiresome and stress- ful. Also, as collision avoidance technology spreads to more trucks, it could partially compensate for fatigued driving by eliminating or at least mitigating the severity of some accidents. Automation "shifts the whole job as we know it today," says John Elliott, chief executive officer of Taylor, Mich.-based Load One. He says the industry should expect "workload rules that apply to what that world is and not the world today." Though the buzz surrounding auto- mation tends to center on "driverless" vehicles, some of the technology that makes autonomous trucks possible is already available. Basic driver assistance technology such as active braking systems, auto- mated transmissions and predictive cruise control lay the groundwork for more advanced systems and regulatory reform, says Fred Andersky of Bendix, a provider of technologies that integrate sensors and cameras to automate braking and help prevent collisions and rollovers. "The potential is there to alter hours of service based on where these tech- nologies are going," Andersky says. "As we advance, as there's more things that allow drivers to have less stress, then, yes, I could see there being some changes." Andersky pegs the use of platooning systems – where one or more autono- mous trucks follow a manned truck – to be about 15 years away. More fully automated vehicles are about 20 to 25 years away, he says. But expect "stepping stones" along the way, such as autopilot functionality and automated steering. TOMORROW • Even before autonomous trucks become common, their underlying technologies will continue to advance automation. • As automation reduces driver stress and fatigue, it could pave the way for looser hours of service regulations. • Instead of rigid hours of service limits, real-time biometric monitoring could lead to individual driving fitness determinations. Daimler Trucks North America BY JAMES JAILLET Once autonomous trucks are a reality and drivers can take their eyes off the road, a reduction in driving stresses could open the door for more liberal hours of service regulations. REINVENTING THE OWNER-OPERATOR