These days, discussions are all about autonomous trucks, platooning trucks and other tech driven innovations. There are a lot of new technologies being touted as “the next best thing” to revolutionize trucking.
We’ve already witnessed significant technological and fuel efficiency strides with the testing of autonomous vehicles and two-truck platooning (Platooning – a driving strategy featuring digitally tethered trucks traveling in single file to reduce drag). But as we look in the near future, for the commercialization of these technologies, we shouldn’t lose sight of the freight hauling efficiency technology that is already available. There are great ways to increase fuel economy today. Which are far short of the promised precision of self-driving trucks or groups of platooning commercial vehicles.
Waiting for new exciting technology to improve fuel efficiency, leaves fleets spending lots more money on fuel than they would have if they focus on available strategies. Whatever a fleet’s fuel efficiency challenge is, there is likely a solution or combination of solutions that can help. Fleet management software can provide companies a cost management solution that can help them reduce fleet costs right away.
But, the trucking industry should keep in mind that there is no universal magic combination of technologies that will work always. If it waits for all the cool new technologies to become widely available, it will remain stuck at the moment with fleet that is not cost effective. So, these can mean fuel inefficiency and maintenance inconsistency, instead of business growth.