Researchers see great potential in real operations after tests involving MAN trucks.
The term "platooning" refers to a system that vehicles use on the road in which at least two trucks drive in a tight convoy on a motorway, supported by technical driving assistance and control systems. All vehicles driving in the platoon are electronically linked to each other. The truck in front sets the speed and direction, and the others follow.
A successful platooning pilot project was run by DB Schenker, MAN Truck & Bus and Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. The key result is that operating electronically linked trucks on German motorways is safe, technically reliable and easily applicable in the routine of a logistics company. As part of a research project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), professional drivers drove two electronically linked vehicles on the Autobahn 9 between the Nuremberg and Munich branches of the logistics company DB Schenker over the course of seven months. Having covered some 35,000 test kilometres, the truck drivers, who drove at a distance of only 15 to 21 meters apart, praised the driving comfort and the general sense of safety. The field test also demonstrated savings in fuel consumption.
According to the project partners, the use of truck platoons could ensure more efficient use of space on motorways, less congestion and increased road safety. The logistics of the future will be automated and networked. The drivers have a key role to play. In a digital truck they will be modern logistics specialists. This will open up new prospects for the profession.
The platooning system installed in the MAN trucks operated smoothly 98% of the time. Active interventions by the driver were necessary only once every 2,000 kilometres, which is much less than expected. In addition, the pilot project demonstrated a 3 to 4 percent reduction in fuel consumption. The system works reliably and can increase safety on the motorway. The research also showed no systematic differences between platoon runs and normal runs when it comes to the neurophysiological stress placed on drivers in terms of concentration or fatigue. Source