The self-driving car trend continues to grow around the world. People have been using vehicles that are capable of autonomous driving for their own personal use, they might be able to soon get it as an option for a car service provided by a company like Uber, and now they are being used for commercial shipments as well.
A trailer recently transported Budweiser beer (about 45,000 cans) 120 miles in a self-driving truck and it's claimed that this is the first commercial shipment completed by a self-driving vehicle. The only portion of the trip that a human driver took control of the wheel was when driving the truck on and off of the ramps. The package was safely delivered to its final destination at a warehouse in Colorado Springs. It was Otto (a subsidiary of Uber) which worked along with Anheuser-Busch in order to complete the shipment.
The cost for the entire shipment came to roughly $470 and a human driver was present throughout the trip in order to monitor the progress and be able to assist if necessary. It's claimed that the companies are already looking at future opportunities to collaborate given the success of the recent shipment. And they are going to be looking to use this technology in other places as well. It's reported that Otto and Anheuser-Busch sought out audience with the state of Colorado first before they ventured out to complete the drive and the state patrol is said to have monitored the trip.
The automated driving technology is an innovative approach to transportation and the Anheuser-Busch's senior director of logistics strategy, James Sembrot, has made it clear that they want to be further involved with that market space and invested in using that technology further. Perhaps the idea of autonomous shipment will bring new optimism to an industry that is said to be struggling.
Pics:
Wired
Otto / via Fortune
Simpsonsworld.com
Souces:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2016/10/25/this-buds-for-the-robot-otto-anheuser-busch-claim-first-automated-truck-shipment/#33fe90a565de
http://fortune.com/2016/10/25/uber-anheuser-busch-first-autonomous-truck-beer-delivery/
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/25/driverless-beer-run-bud-makes-shipment-with-self-driving-truck.html
http://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/truckload-freight/amid-weak-demand-trucking-hits-hiring-roadblock_20160711.html
http://icclogistics.com/trucking-jobs-decline-again-is-this-a-sign-of-an-upcoming-economic-slowdown/