Is it possible that one day we could see all driving functions on a trailer trucking unit taking a trucking load to destination totally automated? This day does appear to be getting closer every day and while many in the freight carrier industry think that we’ll always have on-board human help during transport. The day when the driving will be done by automated systems does appear to be coming closer and closer as we look down the road to the future of the trucking services industry of America and the world in the century of the environment.
The newest natigational aid for trucking transport drivers, the ECO2 navigation system from Bosch provides drivers with pioneering route calculation ability implementing the latest communication options networked with the truck as well as truck-specific consumption curves and characteristics to optimize the operation of the transport for lower fuel consumption during freight trucking operations. This navigation system also takes into account elements and parameters that are significant in terms of ecology and the economy of trucking freight in North America.
What kind of elements and parameters are we referring to? Map-based parameters like the classification of the road you’re transporting on, the towns and villages that you’ll be traveling through during your trip and the number of intersections along the route. Vehicle-specific parameters have also been calculated into the navigation system, like engine size, the transmission, the air resistance values of the vehicle, along with any roof loads or trailers that are being towed. Driver-specific characteristics have also been calculated into this navigation system, like the driving style, which can have a significant effect on the fuel efficiency of a trip if the driver generally accelerates and brakes a lot during transport. The system can even help the driver learn to drive at recommended speeds and drive defensively by looking ahead to anticipate traffic conditions and other helpful features.
This navigation system does go the extra mile as it can help you balance the energy required on different routes and sections of routes as all the streets and roads with the same characteristics in the routing area in question are divided into individual sections for easy use. The transition points between the different sections of the route are marked by nodes, like a change in road classification, an intersection and the entry and exit ramps, which are likely to require more fuel consumption due to accelerating and braking requirements or potential waiting time requiring fuel-consuming starting and stopping.
The ECO2 isn’t ready for prime time just yet, but they do expect to have this navigation system ready to go into production in the summer of 2010, so we should see this system integrated into transport trucking units sometime after the summer.