US Post Office to Test-Drive Autonomous Trucks

The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday introduced a pilot mission utilizing self-driving vehicles. It is going to conduct the two-week experiment in collaboration with TuSimple, an autonomous driving know-how firm based mostly in San Diego.

TuSimple’s contract with the postal service requires one of many firm’s self-driving vehicles to make 5 spherical journeys hauling USPS trailers between Dallas and Phoenix.

Though the truck’s operation shall be automated, people received’t be disregarded of the image solely. A security engineer and driver shall be aboard to watch automobile efficiency and keep public security.

Cargo will journey alongside the I-10, I-20 and I-30 hall by way of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, a route that accounts for about 60 p.c of the whole financial exercise in the USA.

That hall additionally has sure benefits for automated automobiles, famous Robert Brown, TuSimple’s director of public affairs.

“You’re not going to see us on I-90,” he instructed TechNewsWorld. “We will deal with excessive winds, darkness and rain, however we’ve not mastered snow but.”

They Drive by Evening

The pilot is simply one of many some ways the postal service is innovating and investing in its future, based on a press release offered to TechNewsWorld by spokesperson Kim Frum.

“We’re conducting analysis and testing as a part of our efforts to function a future class of automobiles which is able to incorporate new know-how to accommodate a various mail combine, improve security, enhance service, scale back emissions, and produce operational financial savings,” the USPS notes.

Lengthy-haul routes with quick turnaround occasions, such because the 22-hour journey within the pilot, are nicely fitted to self-driving vehicles, based on TuSimple.

“Proper now, human drivers are constrained by 11 hours a day,” TuSimple’s Brown mentioned. “We will stretch that out with these vehicles.”

One in all greatest challenges going through TuSimple now could be discovering groups to accompany its automated vehicles. In a single day necessities and shut quarters aren’t a gorgeous mixture, particularly in the midst of a truck driver scarcity. The American Trucking Affiliation estimates that scarcity will attain 175,000 by 2024.

“Proper now we’ve a truck driver on the left seat and a security engineer driving proper seat,” Brown defined. “Ultimately we’ll be capable of pull these of us out.”

No Sleep or Lavatory Breaks

Autonomous vehicles can scale back prices and enhance velocity and effectivity for the postal service, maintained Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, a public relations agency in New York Metropolis.

“Not like human drivers hauling freight throughout a area as massive because the American Southwest, the place that is being examined, computer systems don’t want sleep, or meals, or rest room breaks,” he instructed TechNewsWorld.

“There’s additionally authorized limits on how a lot a business driver can drive in in the future, which in fashionable 18-wheelers are enforced by pc and GPS monitoring,” Yaverbaum mentioned.

“Discovering a strategy to transfer freight throughout state strains with out these friction factors is form of the Holy Grail of logistics,” he added, “so we’re taking a look at each quicker supply and a higher-capacity pipeline, which implies extra freight delivered much more rapidly — assuming this pilot program goes nicely.”

Security can be a giant good thing about self-driving automobiles, noticed Sam Abuelsamid, a senior analysis analyst for Navigant Analysis, a market analysis and advisory firm based mostly in Boulder, Colorado.

“Automation doesn’t get fatigued or distracted,” he instructed TechNewsWorld.

Within the close to time period, freeway driving shall be one of many foremost areas tackled by automation of professional quality automobiles, mentioned Abuelsamid.

“Nevertheless, these techniques will probably nonetheless require human operators in city areas,” he famous. “Automation could possibly be triggered for an extended freeway run, after which a human driver might take over when the truck exits the freeway to supply last-mile operation. People will probably stay concerned loading and unloading and different capabilities at depots.”

Job Displacement

In the intervening time, situations favor labor within the trucking market. There’s a scarcity of drivers and it’s rising. On this local weather, self-driving vehicles can fill the gaps created by these shortages. Nevertheless, that received’t all the time be the case.

“Because the effectivity and cost-effectiveness of autonomous automobiles begins to point out itself, we will completely count on layoffs,” Ericho’s Yaverbaum mentioned. They’re prone to happen “first, in response to new corporations that use autonomous automobiles on the outset; and second, as corporations develop into unable to compete whereas nonetheless offering their drivers with any advantages in any respect.”

The affect on jobs is probably not too extreme, although, steered Navigant’s Abuelsamid .

“In native city functions, the drivers could also be displaced, however there’ll probably nonetheless be individuals on board for a few years to deal with the final 100-foot downside of truly delivering merchandise to individuals’s doorways,” he defined. “As e-commerce grows, the web job losses might find yourself being a wash.”

In the meantime, the Partnership for Transportation Innovation & Alternative, which focuses on the affect of autonomous automobiles on staff, voiced help for tasks just like the USPS-TuSimple pilot. Its members embody the American Trucking Associations, Daimler, FedEx, Ford, Lyft, Toyota Motor North America, Uber and Waymo.

“PTIO absolutely helps collaboration between authorities and enterprise, educators, and different stakeholders, in addressing key questions as we work to establish insurance policies and packages that join staff to increasing and new alternatives,” mentioned Maureen Westphal, director of the group.

Amongst these key questions: How will the introduction of autonomous automobiles affect the position of the employee? How will their roles keep the identical? How will they evolve? What new profession alternatives shall be out there?

“Via these centered efforts, we will be sure that staff are supported as our communities transition to an AV future,” Westphal instructed TechNewsWorld.

Unhealthy Actors

As helpful as autonomous automobiles might show to be, they’re additionally very weak.

“Vandalism is an actual menace. If malicious actors resolve to spray paint or smash the sensors, it may simply disable automated automobiles,” Abuelsamid mentioned.

“Cybersecurity can be a really actual concern. Since automated automobiles will all be linked, there may be all the time the potential that dangerous actors might discover a strategy to assault both the automobiles or the corresponding knowledge facilities to trigger points both for financial achieve or to create havoc,” he identified.

“Luddites that resolve to easily step out in entrance of AVs may additionally carry issues to a halt,” Abuelsamid added, “though that’s one thing that may occur now with human-driven automobiles.”