By Tyler Fussner, FleetOwner

LAS VEGAS—During the Truckload Carriers Association’s Truckload 2022 annual conference, a panel discussion titled “Revolutionized Trucking: Realizing the Influence of Autonomous Vehicles on Commercial Trucking” presented the state of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and how they fit in the commercial vehicle market today.

Moderated by Dave Williams, senior VP of equipment and government relations at Knight-Swift Transportation, the panel described the development of autonomous systems, the benefits that autonomously operated vehicles could serve the CV space, as well as anticipated timelines of deployment and the hurdles in place that need to be overcome to achieve real-world applications.

What can AVs do for me?

“I think that the best way to think about the benefits of a Level 4 system is that this is a reliable, consistent supply of drivers that are automated, but drivers that are not subject to Hours of Service,” said Dima Kislovskiy, VP of truck programs at Aurora. “There are two corollary benefits that are super important to call out. One is that there is a fuel benefit.”

Kislovskiy explained that through peak-efficient driving, autonomous vehicles will actualize a reduction in fuel consumption.

The second corollary benefit is safety.

Kislovskiy continued, stating that a majority of incidents with heavy-duty trucks are caused by driver fatigue, error, recklessness, and distraction. Automated systems have the space to step in and improve safety in such areas.

“Safety is really the founding reason that Waymo started working on this technology. And the benefits are really huge,” said Charlie Jatt, head of commercialization for trucking at Waymo. “Not only are traffic accidents extremely grave, but they’re also costly. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that truck crashes in the U.S. alone cost more than $30 billion a year. And that doesn’t even include the skyrocketing insurance premiums that you all are facing in your businesses.”

Jatt continued, emphasizing the safety benefits AVs stand to deliver, in that such systems can improve upon what human drivers are capable of through their detection systems.

Furthermore, AVs—being unbound by hours of service—can help to build businesses and reduce total cost of ownership through better duty cycles.

What does this mean for my drivers?

Trepidation exists surrounding autonomous vehicles and that they may exacerbate the need for drivers and compound the driver shortage. However, the panelists put this concern to ease, relaying that autonomy will do more to improve the driver shortage, along with the quality of driver experience and opportunity.

One major point emphasized was shifting the role of drivers covering long-haul operations to the rising demand for regional and delivery operations.

“This dynamic between some of the longer haul freeway portion potentially being good use cases to automate and it being yet a further way off to automate some of the local and regional hauls creates a really good opportunity for this technology to evolve successfully in parallel with the growing need for drivers,” Jatt explained. “The data we’ve seen show it is only going to increase even with successful deployment of autonomous vehicles. And so, there’s a really good success story evolving here around the partnership of this technology and industry—not a story of displacement.”

“We’re not talking about eliminating jobs, we’re talking about creating better jobs where a driver can sleep at home every night. And then those really grueling over-the-road, long-haul miles are being done autonomously,” Kislovskiy added. “You’ve still got this really nice interplay, and it interweaves beautifully into an existing network. It’s a huge value add … . I don’t actually believe this premise that drivers are going to need to be displaced. I think there’s more than enough need right now in aggregate.”

Furthermore, autonomy stands to widen the labor pool by attracting a more diverse workforce into the demanded positions.

“From the study that the DOT did with the Department of Labor, we saw the increase in job opportunities for truck drivers in those regional and short routes,” explained Wiley Deck, VP of government affairs and public policy at Plus. “It also opens up the driver pool. One of the things we asked at FMCSA was, ‘How do you encourage more women to get into the industry?’ And one of the things they look at primarily for them is safety, but also being able to be home, if not every night than every other night, and they’re not away for weeks at a time. So, this opens up the driver pool dramatically. And there will be the need for those drivers to move freight to its final destination.”

“The need for drivers is growing. The need for shipments is growing. And that’s growing faster than what the deployment of autonomous technology will be,” Jatt said. “Can any of us give a prediction exactly how this is going to play out? No, but the trends are pretty clear in terms of that gap between growing need for drivers and expected rollout of autonomous vehicles.”

What are the challenges in deploying AVs?

Building an autonomous driving system is one thing, integrating that system into existing vehicle platforms is another, and deploying such vehicles into the real world in a commercially viable and safe manner is another challenge all together.

Testing and operating today’s autonomous vehicles is heavily constrained upon a patchwork of state-by-state regulations.

“There are a lot of different regulations governing autonomous trucks,” Deck explained. “And what we’re seeing is some states, like Texas, and Florida, and Arizona, and a few others, are allowing wide use and operation of these types of vehicles.”

However, regulations are not consistent nationwide; states like California, New York, and others are “much more restrictive,” Deck said. This patchwork of inconsistent regulations is a challenge, but autonomous system developers are working together to overcome it and influence at-large policy.

“While we may compete on the business side, we’re very much working together to try to work with the states, but also work with FMCSA,” Deck continued. “Because at some point, in the interest of interstate commerce, FMCSA is going to have to step up and create an overarching rule that preempts the states’ laws and set a unified playing field for how these trucks should operate … . Something on that level is going to require congressional action, and the Congress will have to tell FMCSA [what the agency needs to do].”

Setting regulations on autonomous operation is no easy undertaking, as the technology and application is still much of an unknown.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Jatt warned. “It is very easy to overregulate something that we don’t yet understand fully. This technology is still early on in development across the entire industry. We have seen some examples in this patchwork where states have tried to accomplish something in the AV space with regulation, but maybe put in place some rules that had some effects that they didn’t anticipate.”

Another challenge comes in the form of the unknown, or yet-to-be-determined. If an autonomous vehicle is in an accident, who then becomes liable?

“Everybody. That’s the easiest answer to that,” Deck joked. The reality is that this incident will vary, and it yet to have played out means there are many scenarios that are plausible.

“At Waymo, we stand behind our technology: full stop,” Jatt stated. “Our lane is pretty clear, which is we are driving the vehicle. And so, to the extent that there’s an incident that results from driving the vehicle, we stand by that.” Jatt furthered a disclaimer as to his not being an attorney, but fundamentally, the company claims to hold responsibility for its product. However, the case may come down to system maintenance and upkeep.

“If there is a faulty or negligent maintenance issue, where there’s a real clear guidebook of what you’re supposed to do to properly to maintain and deploy an autonomous vehicle, that’s where some of that nuance may creep in,” he added.

Another important detail Kislovskiy pointed out is that an autonomous vehicle is made up through an overall vehicle system.

“Failures can occur at the level of the autonomy software,” he said. “There are also failures that can occur at level of the base platform, and it’s really important to have a very tight partnership with the OEM in understanding how the overall system that gets delivered to a carrier works.”

How does autonomy become something that OEMs can equip vehicles for? Technology partners are working closely with OEMs in this development process to ensure that they are bringing forth the best comparative advantage and expertise for all parts of the aggregate system, Kislovskiy, Jatt, and Deck concurred.

When will AVs be in my fleet?

“This isn’t going to be a flip of the switch, and next day the AV trucks are out on the road,” Deck said. “We’re talking millions of trucks out there right now. How quickly can the OEMs manufacture these trucks to replace millions of trucks? It’s just not going to happen overnight. It’s years out before you start seeing vast quantities of autonomous trucks out on the road.”

Though discussed as a hot topic for years already, the reality is that the development of autonomous systems is only one piece of the puzzle that needs to be completed to deploy AVs at scale.

“We plan to deploy a fully autonomous truck in a limited use case within the next few years, and then expand from there,” Jatt said of Waymo’s current plans. The company is already doing so with consumer passenger vehicles in real-world deployment in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and Jatt suggested that such deployment be monitored to gauge the company’s trajectory for heavy-duty vehicle deployment.

“By the end of 2023, with our partners, we’re launching small, limited pilots where essentially they’re reserving capacity and they’re going to be using the Aurora driver to run fully autonomous loads,” Kislovskiy said of Aurora AV deployment plans. “This is not a one-off demonstration; this is going to be part of their commercial operation. That gives them a chance to experience this technology, understand it, before we ask them to buy assets by 2025. We expect that you can purchase an Aurora driver equipped vehicle from an OEM and then you subscribe to the Aurora Horizon product, which is our driver as a service product, [by 2025].”

“With Plus, we have our Level 4 system as a driver end product right now, so you can get it right now,” Deck said of Plus’ AV deployment. “But for full Level 4 driver-out, we’re also saying 2023 [as to] when we believe our system will be capable. But I don’t think the infrastructure will be there. And I’m not just talking about the roads and highways, I’m talking about the regulatory infrastructure being there … . So, while I think that our systems will be ready by 2023, I just don’t think that anything else will be ready to accommodate, in any scale, these vehicles.”

By Lauren Kwan, Yahoo Finance

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 14, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), a leading technology advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives, toured the headquarters of Plus, a global autonomous trucking technology company in the 17th Congressional District which was recently named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005751/en/

David Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of Plus, said: “We are honored to host Representative Ro Khanna at Plus and proud to have such a passionate ambassador for technology representing our district and the larger tech community in Washington, DC. We share Rep. Khanna’s drive to ensure that technology innovations positively impact the communities not just of tech centers but also the heartland of America and areas that have traditionally been left out. With our driver-in product, PlusDrive, a truck driver’s job is instantly elevated to a role similar to an airplane pilot. This makes their jobs safer, easier, and less stressful, which will help retain drivers and recruit new drivers interested in the ease-of-use of this advanced technology.”

During the tour, Rep. Khanna took his first ride in a semi truck equipped with PlusDrive, which was operated autonomously on the highway, supervised by Plus’s safety driver, on I-280 through the heart of the District. Rep. Khanna learned about Plus’s innovative approach to safety and Level 4 autonomy. The company’s PlusDrive product, already being operated by the world’s largest fleets and truck manufacturers, allows drivers and fleets to benefit from the improved safety, fuel efficiency, and sustainability of autonomous trucking technology today. The group also discussed the current patchwork of regulations and the need for clear and consistent federal policies to facilitate the safe deployment of autonomous trucks.

“I am excited to see firsthand how trucking technology will make our roads safer and the supply chain more efficient, but just as important, help modernize and create digital jobs for the trucking industry and communities across the U.S.,” said Congressman Ro Khanna. “From safety drivers to technicians and others who will operate, supervise, or service trucks, this innovative technology being developed right here in our District will create new jobs and business opportunities for our country.”

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN RO KHANNA

Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at Khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.

ABOUT PLUS

Plus is a global leader in autonomous driving technology for long-haul trucking, headquartered in Silicon Valley. Plus is developing high-performance full-stack Level 4 autonomous driving technology to enable driverless trucks. Plus’s first commercial product, PlusDrive, is a driver-in solution that supports drivers to make long-haul trucking safer, more efficient, more comfortable, and more sustainable. PlusDrive is already being delivered to world-class fleets and truck manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.plus.ai or follow us on LinkedIn or YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005751/en/

By Robert Brown and Ariel Wolf, Times of San Diego

San Diego has a long history in autonomous trucks, dating back to 1991 when Congress authorized demonstration of an automated vehicle and highway system. This $90 million program culminated in a 1997 demonstration on Interstate 15, with 20 automated vehicles, including cars, buses, and trucks driving in “close-headway platoon formation.”

Since then, San Diego’s leadership on autonomous vehicles has only grown, in part thanks to pioneering work at UC San Diego. This includes a recent study by the university’s Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory, led by Dr. Henrik Christensen.

The laboratory conducted the industry’s first environmental fuel study of autonomous trucks in partnership with San Diego’s TuSimple. The study showed that these vehicles are 10% more fuel efficient compared to trucks driven by human drivers.

Unfortunately, California’s leadership position in this technology is in jeopardy. In 2012, the Legislature mandated that Department of Motor Vehicles pass regulations enabling the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

Yet, nearly a decade later, the California DMV has yet to issue those regulations for long-haul autonomous trucks. Despite the state’s aptitude for regulating, its tardiness in addressing autonomous trucks effectively withholds from Californians the benefits and investment that this technology stands to offer.

Autonomous trucking companies are creating thousands of good-paying, full-time jobs in states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. These include technicians, drivers, maintenance workers, mechanics, engineers, software developers, and more.

San Diego-based companies like Qualcomm and TuSimple, as well as other California-based companies like Spartan Radar, Kodiak, Embark and Waymo, are scaling their businesses across the country. Billions in direct economic investment and impact by these companies are flowing to neighboring states, but leaving San Diego and California.

Furthermore, San Diego residents are seeing the impacts of the supply chain crisis at coffee shops and restaurants, grocery stores and car dealerships, plus higher prices for their California burritos, fish tacos, and Ballast Point beer. There are many compounding reasons for the rising inflation, backlogs, shortages and delays, but there’s a notable long-term problem: the truck driver shortage.

Even before the pandemic, the trucking industry was short 60,000 drivers, and industry trends indicate the shortfall could nearly triple by 2030. Drivers themselves point to long hours on the road and weeks away from family as top reasons why new hires and veterans are leaving the industry.

California policymakers have proposed many plans to boost the state’s supply chain, but without truly addressing the long-term driver shortage. To set California up for long-term success, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration should direct the DMV to commence a rulemaking for autonomous trucks to safely test and deploy.

Misinformation on the potential negative workforce impacts has been dispelled and can no longer cause politicians to be skittish on this issue. In reality autonomous trucks will complement truck drivers and create good, high paying jobs.

A study from the U.S. Department of Transportation confirmed that autonomous trucks can create up to 35,100 new jobs per year across the economy — without layoffs. Truck jobs are not going away due to the lasting shortage and turnover. Autonomous trucks can fill in the gaps, while improving efficiencies and opportunities for California businesses, farms and consumers.

The Transportation Department study also projected that allowing autonomous trucks will raise American workers’ wages overall and encourage $111 billion in investment. With delivery optimization, local restaurants and stores can count on receiving goods when they’re expected, and businesses can ship goods to customers more efficiently.

There are also critical safety benefits from autonomous trucks. The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 32,000 people died on U.S. roads in the first nine months of last year — with approximately 10% of fatalities occurring in California. Tragically, trucks are often a factor in crashes. Nearly 14% involve a truck, and one in three long-haul drivers will be part of a serious crash during their career.

In light of the benefits promised by autonomous trucks, it’s time for the DMV to set rules and allow testing in California. A group of autonomous truck developers, freight carriers, shippers, and equipment manufacturers have formed the California Alliance for Freight Innovation to urge the Newsom administration to take action.

California stands to reap the environmental benefits, economic opportunities, jobs, and greater supply chain efficiencies of autonomous trucks. Policymakers must move forward on the needed regulations for the safe and swift deployment of autonomous trucks.

Robert Brown is chief strategy officer for Spartan Radar and a founding member of the California Alliance for Freight Innovation. Ariel Wolf is with the California Alliance for Freight Innovation.

By California Mobility Staff, SacramentoINNO

As the California Mobility Center in March marks its first anniversary of full commercial operations, it also celebrates something equally important: the CMC’s contributions to the future workforce for the rapidly growing advanced mobility and manufacturing sector.

The CMC Showcase ’22, on March 17, was organized to allow hundreds of industry leaders from around the globe to get an exclusive peak into CMC’s global mobility ecosystem, one where impressive, advanced technologies, heavy-duty electric trucks, and autonomous vehicles are just part of the story.

The new era of mobility affects industries spanning manufacturing, transportation, utilities, construction, and information and communications technologies. As these industries transform, their need for skilled talent also changes. To help meet that need, CMC Career Pathways is providing a framework for vast collaboration to develop workforce skills to help meet employers’ current and future needs.

“Our cross-sector collaboration is building a sustainable supply chain of skilled talent that benefits employers and workers in ways that will drive industry growth both here and across the nation,” said Mike Bell, CMC director of Workforce Development. “The CMC’s innovative model creates opportunities for inclusive workforce development in partnership with industry employers, community advocates, educators, and government.”

Collaborating around the concept of a talent supply chain helps ensure that students receive the education that prepares them with training and skills companies require in their employees. In addition to articulating hiring requirements and defining skills necessary for worker success in specific roles, employers also must provide inclusive and equitable opportunities for employment, training and career advancement.

Another key factor is community-based organizations, which can ensure that populations they serve are connected to opportunities for high-quality jobs, career advancement and financial stability. Education providers of all types play a critical role in supporting the many possible pathways to opportunity as well. Education and training programs need to be flexible, aligned, and coordinated to support current and future labor market requirements.

“The CMC Career Pathways program specializes in identifying the entry points for career opportunities in the future mobility sector,” said Mark Rawson, CMC chief operating officer. “The initial focus on pathway development is manufacturing, since manufacturing is the industry that brings design and technology together.”

CMC Career Pathways includes pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and degree or specialist phases, and provides career coaching and support throughout.

In pre-apprenticeship, participants explore a variety of career opportunities and are connected to job readiness and technical training to help them prepare for entry-level positions, registered apprenticeships, or career advancement.

Apprenticeship allows employers to upskill their existing workforce or to build new talent from within. Apprentices develop valuable skills while earning a paycheck.

The degree or specialist phase supports the transition from apprenticeship to secondary education programs at community colleges and universities in pursuit of badges, certificates, and/or degrees (associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s), depending on an individual’s career goals. The program provides career development support and mentorship throughout to foster race and gender equity for careers in the future mobility sector.

“Working with the region’s network of job centers and community-based organizations is key to advancing equity and inclusion,” Bell said. “We are working with organizations like Women’s Empowerment to help people explore career opportunities they may have never before considered or understood could be available to them.”

Touring a local manufacturing facility and learning directly from employers about why manufacturing is exciting work can be an eye-opening experience, and one that can reveal a new world in which to pursue a successful career. Such inclusive career development raises a region’s prosperity and opens the door to innovation.

CMC Career Pathways is made possible by support from the California Workforce Development Board High Road Training Partnership, SMUD, Sacramento State, SETA, the city of Sacramento and many more valued partners.

“We’re doing some really amazing work here at the CMC that is not only shaping the future of mobility, but also the future of those who will bring it life,” Rawson said.

The California Mobility Center (CMC) is a nonprofit, public-private entity that aspires to be the leading innovation center for global mobility success. CMC founders include Sacramento State, EnerTech Capital, PEM Motion, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC). The CMC is strategically located in Sacramento, California.

By Eugene Mulero, Transport Topics

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has partnered with American Trucking Associations for an apprenticeship program that could play a significant role in easing the industry’s driver shortage, and presents motor carriers with an opportunity to directly work with and train new entrants to boost their driving ranks.

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was joined by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and ATA leadership at a March 1 signing ceremony at the department’s headquarters to formally establish ATA as an official registered apprenticeship sponsor.

The signing ceremony centered on a 90-day apprenticeship challenge launched by the Biden-Harris administration. The challenge is meant to recruit employers interested in developing Registered Apprenticeship programs, which are designed to provide paid, on-the-job training. Since the launch of the challenge in December, more than 300 employers, industry and workforce groups have joined, per the Labor Department.

With its official federal apprenticeship sponsor designation, ATA will work with Fastport, a Labor Department transportation and logistics intermediary, to administer the apprenticeship program for ATA member companies. Participating carriers will be required to meet certain training and compensation metrics as part of the two-year apprenticeships.

“We appreciate American Trucking Associations joining the effort to expand Registered Apprenticeships to meet the needs of the nation’s employers while connecting workers to good-paying jobs and a path to middle-class wages and opportunities,” Walsh said. “What I love about Registered Apprenticeship is that it is a partnership. When employers and industry step up, we are ready to partner and support them to adopt this high road-training model to meet their critical workforce needs.”

ATA executives and Cabinet secretaries acknowledged the benefits associated with apprenticeships.

“We worked really hard over the last few months — with all the challenges that this administration faces — to be a part of this discussion, to be listened to, for our drivers to be respected and heard. It’s just so deeply appreciated. And I think we all are committed to growing the economy. And we all have some pretty lofty ideas for doing it. And this is one example of, really, the commitment resulting in an outcome,” ATA President Chris Spear said.

“We believe this is the right approach for this program,” Spear added. “Registered Apprenticeship are a time-tested approach to workforce development. It’s producing lasting skills that provide a path to family-sustaining wages. We’re the glue. So to celebrate today the launch of a national apprenticeship program, the timing of it couldn’t be better. And we do this, we do this right, I think we’re going to put this country on the correct path.”

“I’m proud to be here recognizing the great training and wages that our industry has always provided for our drivers and making a continued commitment to a quality career and opportunity,” said ATA Chairman Harold Sumerford, CEO of J&M Tank Lines.

“Drivers throughout the country have spoken with me about the rewards and the challenges of this career, and it’s clear we need to do more to build and support the trucking workforce,” Buttigieg said. “The Biden-Harris administration is working with the trucking industry and drivers to quickly launch Registered Apprenticeship programs that provide high-quality paid job training, reduce debt for drivers and increase the number of drivers who stay in the job.”

Also attending the ceremony were Alphonso Lewis, an America’s Road Team Captain and professional driver with YRC Freight, as well as Darren Hawkins, CEO of Yellow Corp. and Robin Hutcheson, acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The administration launched its trucking action plan to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks via recruitment and retention efforts across the trucking industry. American Trucking Associations has determined the industry is short about 80,000 commercial drivers.