Road To The Future

Lowering freight and logistics expenses while reducing delivery times — autonomous vehicles could become a game-changer for the shipping industry.

- Neha

Every day we witness the use of the word ‘new’. It can be a book, a fashion trend, an album, or even an AI-infused wheel, for all we know; the world of advancement is accrescent. One such headway that can be seen in the arena of logistics and supply chain, which has the potential to turn the industry on its head, is the development of Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Though it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the whole concept is still in the pilot stage, but the possibility for efficiency gains and customer addition herein proves to be quite promising.

At the same time, the idea makes us question how realistic the goal of largescale deployment of AV’s in logistics is, especially in the immediate future? Our prediction is, we may not have to wait much longer to see the first self-driving truck roaring on the road.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN LOGISTICS

People who do not belong to this industry are not aware that AV’s in logistics have already taken over a meaningful part of the work process. Although, right about now, there are no self-driving trucks that are transporting thousands of tons of goods on the open roads, yet autonomous forklifts and robotic arms are common technologies being used in most modern warehouses. They load, unload and carry goods within the warehouse area, by connecting to one another and fashioning flexible conveyor belts. Such tasks require advanced sensors, exceptional vision, and geo-guidance technology. Moreover, along with warehouses, these technologies are also being deployed at airports, harbors and shipping yards.

Still, all this is far from the vision of self-sufficient vehicles driving on the open road. Our idea of the future of logistics incorporates large self-sustained trucks — delivering all types of goods, and fortunately, there are some manufacturers that are taking vital steps to introduce the first fully autonomous heavy-duty freight vehicles for public use.