Dive Brief:
- Ease Logistics is testing automated truck platooning technology on Interstate 70 in collaboration with the Ohio and Indiana departments of transportation, according to an April 14 press release.
- Equipped with Kratos Defense technology, the two trucks are electronically linked, allowing the lead driver to control the speed and direction of the second truck. Each truck has a driver — with 260 training hours in preparation — for safety purposes.
- “We believe this technology will be a critical part of our country’s infrastructure in the future,” said Peter Coratola, CEO of Ease Logistics, in an email to Trucking Dive.
Dive Insight:
Ease Logistics became a part of the I-70 project after responding to a request for proposals from ODOT, initially piloting the platooning technology in rural areas of Southwestern Ohio, Coratola said.
“It was really a no brainer for us to participate in this deployment as well,” he said, noting that this time, the trucks will be tested over the course of at least 12 months.
The $8.8 million effort, funded partially by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, aims to test the platooning technology’s performance in adverse Midwestern weather. To date, the tech — first developed for the U.S. military — had only been tested in regions with warmer and more predictable weather.
Now, between Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, the following truck will automatically steer, accelerate and brake, enabling it to follow the path of the lead truck precisely. Due to closer-than-normal proximity, the trucks will display a purple light on the cab when in platooning mode to alert law enforcement. If necessary, the driver in either truck can turn off the technology and take control, per the press release.
“We’re excited to see the impact the data collection will have on making our roads safer and continue to be a leader for the logistics industry to adopt this type of technology,” Coratola told Trucking Dive.
While the Ease Logistics trucks are transporting actual customer freight, Coratola declined to share specifics about the shippers.
“We’re currently looking to add more partners to the project, ranging from consumer packaged goods to manufacturing, and of course, [partners who] are excited about helping shape the future of commercial transportation,” he added.
Later this year, ODOT and INDOT will release an RFP for additional deployments of automated trucks in Ohio and Indiana.
