Lorries purposely trying to trick autopilot?

[Medved_77]

As a lorry driver

As a lorry driver, does the Semi excite you? Do you think haulage is ready to go fully electric?

 

[Billbrown1982]

As a lorry driver, does the Semi excite you? Do you think haulage is ready to go fully electric?

Right now that i've stopped laughing at that question.....im so immature sometimes.

The technological side of things excites me. The more buttons and screens in a truck the better for me. Our newest Mercedes trucks are pretty cool, but they have no wing mirrors, instead of you have screens inside the cab and they are having...mixed results. Utterly useless when your trying to negotiate a tight space when its pitch black.

Most of the firms I have ever worked for, the trucks are on the go 24/7 - as soon as you get back there is another driver waiting to jump in and head off - so I wonder how the logistics will work of charging. These firms would need double the amount of vehicles so they could have half on charge while the other half are off working - and seeing as how you are generally already packed in like sardines in the yard, i'm not sure how this will work.

I'm also quite worried about autonomous driving, which I know we are still a long way off of, as if an autonomous car goes wrong, someone can get seriously hurt or killed but if a 44 tonne truck goes wrong.....it could be total carnage. But, when that time comes, drivers like me will be out of a job.

While I don't see fully autonomous trucks coming anytime soon in the UK, I do see the convoy system coming in, which means your truck will essentially auto follow the one in front of you and you will just plod around the M25 and take control when you come off at your exit.

Which ultimately will just be an excuse for wages to get slashed further as you are only doing half the job.

But ultimately I'm feeling quite positive about the changes ahead.

 

[Mr H]

And everyone knows that for an n-lane motorway there will always be n-1 lorries side by side, not giving a *sugar* about the miles of traffic behind them.
I don’t think they’re generally professional nor considerate and I wish we could have more freight by rail, lorries are the bane of the public motorway system.

How many railheads are there at your local Asda? Don’t like trucks then don’t buy stuff

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

While I don't see fully autonomous trucks coming anytime soon in the UK, I do see the convoy system coming in, which means your truck will essentially auto follow the one in front of you and you will just plod around the M25 and take control when you come off at your exit.

I nearly got involved in evaluation trials for that - decided to leave the company instead (not because of). I remember some of the trial objectives - how other road users would deal with a long platoon of trucks especially at junctions, and the question of road debris being kicked up by the truck up front. I'm not sure whatever came of the project - never heard anything about it in the press (I got the impression that heavy public criticism was likely) although on a brief return trip to the old office I did see the project being promoted. At the time, only a limited number of trucks had the required hardware required (basically LKA and comms) but I would imagine that LKA has probably started to get introduced on trucks.

 

[ACarneiro]

How many railheads are there at your local Asda? Don’t like trucks then don’t buy stuff

Oh, please.
I don’t like inconsiderate truck drivers and I was suggesting that more freight should go by rail but anyone with even a room temperature IQ would understand that would only work for the long (motorway length) distances, not the last few miles deliveries. Lorries are an unfortunate necessity of moving goods about, that’s not in dispute.

 

[Mr H]

Oh, please.
and I was suggesting that more freight should go by rail but anyone with even a room temperature IQ would understand that would only work for the long (motorway length) distances, not the last few miles deliveries. Lorries are an unfortunate necessity of moving goods about, that’s not in dispute.

There are far more inconsiderate people in cars and vans than trucks, tarring all drivers with the same brush by saying "I don’t think they’re generally professional nor considerate" really doesn't help matters, which you've now changed to "I don’t like inconsiderate truck drivers" well neither do i but they aren't all bad and suggesting so does every one a disservice.

 

[ACarneiro]

There are far more inconsiderate people in cars and vans than trucks, tarring all drivers with the same brush by saying "I don’t think they’re generally professional nor considerate" really doesn't help matters, which you've now changed to "I don’t like inconsiderate truck drivers" well neither do i but they aren't all bad and suggesting so does every one a disservice.

Fair point. I stand by my previous comment, then. Most do seem to be inconsiderate.

 

[Billbrown1982]

Oh, please.
I don’t like inconsiderate truck drivers and I was suggesting that more freight should go by rail but anyone with even a room temperature IQ would understand that would only work for the long (motorway length) distances, not the last few miles deliveries. Lorries are an unfortunate necessity of moving goods about, that’s not in dispute.

Try telling that to the people of Kent