Opinion: The Real ‘Driverless Truck’ Problem Fleets Face

This Opinion piece appears in the Oct. 17 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

By Denny Mooney

Senior Vice President

Navistar International Corp.

There’s currently a lot of buzz about autonomous, self-driving vehicles, including trucks. And, yes, most truck makers are working on technologies that could make such vehicles viable years in the future.

But from what our customers tell me, the really urgent issue is another category of driverless trucks — the trucks fleets can’t keep on the road today because there aren’t enough drivers available to keep them running.

I believe our industry — truck makers and truck operators alike — can attack this problem much more effectively than before, using technologies and insights we have at hand. But first, we need to get our priorities straight. And that starts with helping drivers, not looking to eliminate them.

First, let’s admit the driver shortage is absolutely a major problem. American Trucking Associations reports the industry is 35,000 to 40,000 drivers short of its needs. The situation could get worse, as current drivers — average age 55 — edge toward retirement.

So why aren’t enough people being attracted to the profession? We’ve gotten a lot of insights from truck drivers’ input on our upcoming product line.

For one thing, being a longhaul driver traditionally has required a mix of skills and experience that not everyone can deliver. Another issue is lifestyle: Being on the road for long stretches can be demanding. Plus, administrative requirements such as hours of service can pose challenges for drivers and fleets. Given all this, it’s no wonder the driver turnover rate at some companies has reached 90%.

The good news is that many of the technologies associated with future driverless vehicles are available and can provide today’s drivers with greater ease of use, comfort, safety, productivity and efficiency.

Ease of Use: We’ve come a long way since 10 years ago, when 90% of trucks had manual transmissions. Today’s automated manual transmissions can expand the driver pool by easing the path to a commercial driver license. So can disc brakes, which are easier to drive and maintain than drum brakes. Other improvements drivers want include putting key engine controls on the steering column, clustering data displays to make vital information easier to access, and trucks that park themselves and know when they are getting close to the dock.

Comfort: The truck is the driver’s home away from home, so comfort ought to be king. That starts with a comfortable ride and interior, including amenities such as air suspension, the ability to run appliances such as refrigerators and cooking facilities, or continuous positive airway pressure devices, known as CPAP, to help drivers with sleep apnea. Ergonomics also must be geared to a driver’s frame and reach.

Reducing noise, vibration and harshness in the cab can ease driver stress and strain. So can stronger, faster HVAC. And connected vehicles can deliver new entertainment sources in remote areas where cable TV is not accessible.

Safety. This starts with improved stability control and better visibility through expanded windshield dimensions and LED headlights. Beyond that, today’s advanced technologies offer quantum leaps of benefit. They combine radar and digital cameras to facilitate object detection, lane departure warnings, avoidance of blind spots and collision mitigation. Incidents such as the 200-vehicle pileup in Michigan during last year’s blizzard can be avoided with advanced sensor technology and vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity.

Productivity and Efficiency. Advanced technologies offer many ways of making truck driving more productive, efficient and financially rewarding. Predictive cruise control ties into GPS data and topographic data to optimize fuel efficiency. Remote, predictive diagnostics can ease uncertainty about blinking dashboard lights and prevent breakdowns that cost drivers and fleets money.

Advanced diagnostics can also link to smart repair routing, sending drivers to the most appropriate service facilities for their needs. And over-the-air programming of engine control modules using Wi-Fi can prevent unnecessary trips to service facilities, while optimizing ECM configurations for fuel efficiency and other benefits.

Truck routing technology also will become increasingly relevant, as consumers’ increasing online orders spur a greater surge in truck traffic to the home. Automated coaching technology will offer drivers situational guidance. And automated HOS tracking will reduce paperwork drudgery.

All these technologies are now feasible, or shortly will be. And they will gain more marketplace acceptance as they demonstrate a return on investment — including their ability to help attract and retain drivers.

What about truck automation? Driverless trucks aside, automation technologies can and should be used to help today’s drivers achieve greater productivity in a closed environment.

For example, if a driver finds no open dock at a busy freight terminal, with only a few minutes left till HOS limits kick in, a vehicle with autonomous capabilities could be left on its own to move to the first dock that opens up, while the driver takes a break, grabs a shower or performs other nondriving duties.

To sum up, on-highway driverless trucks are likely sometime in the future. But nearer term, technologies and features can augment drivers’ skills, while making their professional lives safer, more comfortable and easier to manage.

To end the driver shortage, we need to expand the pool of qualified drivers, lower the barriers to entering the profession and make truck driving more attractive. Let’s start by using these new technologies to build trucks that drivers want to drive.

Mooney is Navistar’s senior vice president responsible for product development. Based in Lisle, Illinois, the company makes trucks, buses, defense vehicles and engines.