Driverless technology in the transport industry

Over the past 5 years the transport industry has undergone many changes. For the most part these changes have been great for the industry; economical engines, a surge in online shopping and improved Sat-Navs. However, not all changes have been good. Driverless technology is already making waves. We have already seen a few of the largest car manufactures and ride sharing apps embrace the change and actively try and implement it.

Will this mean we will be seeing driverless vans and lorries soon? In my humble opinion, whilst it will happen, we are a good while off yet - and even longer for removal companies. There are many factors that will delay the need for fully autonomist delivery vehicles, both practical and emotional.

There are many arguments around who would be legally responsible should the ‘driverless’ vehicle was to be involved in an accident. Is it the driver? The company? The manufacturer?  Basically, it is a messy situation. People’s scepticism around the safety of driverless vehicles will provide a further stumbling blocks towards driverless technology becoming reality. Haulage companies and customers would not be 100% confident handing a valuable vehicle with a heavy load over to a robot.

Removals will still require a human element to remove the packages, unlike the process of a driverless taxi. There will also always be problems when it comes to access and exit from local roads, which will include arrival and departure as well as congested spaces where a driver would be needed. There is also not a big interest from big haulage companies or lorry/van manufactures to invest in the technology just yet owing to these challenges. A planned test this year has been canned as there was not a manufacturer to take part in the trials. Without the investment, drive and more importantly pressure from big companies it will be a far slower process of moving toward a driverless model.

For these reasons and more we are still a long way from fully autonomous vehicles. What we can expect is a more and more autonomist driving experience with more of the actual driving done automatically. My belief is that this is not something we should fear and something that might replace drivers, instead like all the other tech that has made aspects of the job easier we should embrace it. Can you imagine a future eating your lunch on the motorway watching your favourite series whilst the lorry does the boring part of the job? Heaven, right? I say bring it on!