Autonomous trucks will drasti-
cally change the trucking industry,
says the American Transportation
Research Institute in a new report,
with implications ranging from
major regulatory reform to greater
efficiency and safety, as well as
infrastructure updates, an altered
legal landscape and new labor
market.
ATRI also says truck operators
shouldn't fret about job security, as
automated trucks will still require
human operators in the cab. Public
policy will likely dictate this too, per
the report.
Roadblocks still remain, however,
before the U.S. trucking industry sees
any substantial uptake of the tech-
nology, the report notes. The biggest
hurdle is infrastructure upgrades
necessary for the best operation
of autonomous trucks, including
smoother highways, better signage
and highway-to-vehicle communica-
2 www.bigriglease.com J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
Cover Story >
by James Jaillet
Autonomous trucks pave way for
hours reform and more, but major
roadblocks remain, says ATRI
A Volvo VNL equipped with the Otto retrofit autonomous system hauled a load of Budweiser 125 in
Colorado in October.
