Autonomous vehicle is no longer a new topic for the public since it already has developed for more than decades. However, have you ever imagined your parcels could be transported by self-driving trucks? This is what SF Express and Plus are trying to do in its pilot test.
SF Express is often referred to as “China’s UPS” as it operates more than 43,000 trucks over 100,000 different routes both domestically and internationally (Anthony, 2022). While Plus is regarded as a world leader in self-driving truck technology (Plus, 2021). SF Express officially selects Plus for China’s first commercial freight pilot, and they started the pilot test in 2020 to demonstrate how self-driving trucks could be used in logistics industry in order to improve operations. The pilot test was conducted in two routes, and the first one is 900-mile long, while the second has 1,000 miles, which are both round trips (Anthony, 2022).
The collaboration between the two giants really gives the public the impression that the working efficiency in logistics industry would be significantly enhanced and even the rule of game could be changed, since the data of pilot test indicate 20 percent fuel savings, and the operators have reported improved peace of mind and enjoyed comfortable operations (Chinadaily, 2021). Usually, the trip takes two or three days, drivers reported that they feel less stress behind the wheel with PlusDrive, since they only had to supervise the system instead of driving for such a long time (Plus, 2021). Besides, according to Plus, the pilot test also shows improved safety and lower carbon emissions (Anthony, 2022), which are beneficial for improving the sustainability of logistics industry.
Although the collaboration results are impressive, concerns are still involved in self-driving trucks, such as safety of drivers and pedestrians, and moral problems related to AI decision-making. It would be interesting to have more information about the tests and further collaboration between companies in logistics to see what can be really changed in our daily life and associated impacts that are beneficial for the society.
References
- Anthony, C. (2022, March 9). SF Express Selects Plus for China’s first commercial freight pilot using supervised autonomous trucks. AutoVision News. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://www.autovision-news.com/mobility/sf-express-plus-china-freight-pilot/
- Chinadaily. (2021). SF Express, Plus to cooperate on autonomous freight pilot program. http://ex.chinadaily.com.cn/exchange/partners/45/rss/channel/www/columns/6h4i91/stories/WS605dd16aa31024ad0bab1ece.html. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- Plus. (2021). SF Express selects self-driving truck company plus for China’s first commercial freight pilot using supervised autonomous trucks. Plus. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://plus.ai/press-release/SF-Express-Selects-Self-Driving-Truck-Company-Plus-for-China-First-Commercial-Freight-Pilot-Using-Supervised-Autonomous-Trucks.html
This is really interesting and kind of seems like a logical move after since self-driving cars have been a topic of discussion as well over the recent years. I am curious whether there are additional issues that will be faced in the development of a self-driving truck compared to self-driving cars. Maybe the benefits in terms of safety for self-driving trucks are even bigger compared to self-driving cars because of the long hours truck drivers often make. Whereas people who own a car usually do not drive long distances. It will be interesting to see the developments in the near future.