The idea of heavy trucks being on the road without a driver is still somewhat frightening for most of us at the moment. According to a recent study, however, self-driving commercial vehicles are relatively close to breaking through the market. Although not necessarily with us.
Self-driving trucks could be on the road in large numbers by the end of the decade. In a study by the consulting agency Berylls, by 2030 robot trucks will already account for a ten percent share of all trucks sold worldwide. The experts cite the globally growing shortage of drivers and the pressure on personnel costs on trucking companies as the reasons for the rapid spread according to the study that has now been published, around 160,000 drivers in 2030. At the same time, the wages of the drivers make up 40 percent of the total transport costs there. Accordingly, around 25 billion dollars could be saved annually if every tenth normal truck were replaced by an autonomously driving model. Numerous companies such as Google/Waymo, Aurora and Embak are therefore already working on suitable technology. In many cases, it will not be sold to truck manufacturers, but offered as a service for freight forwarders. The study does not specifically examine the role that autonomous trucks could play in Germany or Austria. Unlike in countries like the USA or Australia, however, the distances here are shorter, and most routes also lead through densely populated, heavily trafficked areas, which poses greater challenges for the autonomous technology. The autonomously driving truck could therefore initially have greater chances in factory traffic or when maneuvering at freight forwarding yards.
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