Autonomous trucking startup Locomation is pursuing with two Class 8 trucks what others are trying to accomplish with one: ultimately operating without a driver in either cab.
The 3-year-old company is based in Pittsburgh, home of Carnegie Mellon University, a launch point for many of the brightest minds in robot cars and trucks. Founder Cetin Mericli is one of that group.
Locomation is not just about autonomous trucks, a challenge of at least a half-dozen well-financed startup companies. San...
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have sued federal regulators for reallocating Wi-Fi spectrum that had been reserved for transportation communications including truck platooning.
In a lawsuit filed against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ITS and AASHTO said they want to ensure...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/highway-groups-sue-fcc-over-wi-fi-safety-band-decision
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving ahead with a Trump-era decision to reallocate wireless bandwidth set aside for vehicle safety despite warnings from trucking companies and technology experts that the move could affect the deployment and costs of truck platooning.
A final rule issued Friday for public inspection is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Monday and sets a July 2 effective date for the FCC’s decision. The rule repurposes the lower 45 megahertz of...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/setback-for-truck-platooning-as-clock-starts-on-wi-fi-rule
A top transportation lawmaker is pressuring the Biden administration to reconsider a proposal that trucking advocates say could hinder the deployment of truck platooning and other connected-vehicle automation.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, warned that the independent agency’s decision last year to share the 5.9 GHz frequency band with unlicensed Wi-Fi could hinder progress on...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/lawmaker-pressures-fcc-to-rethink-proposal-affecting-truck-platooning
Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ: RUSHA) reported lower new and used truck sales in 2020 because of COVID-19. But Class 8 business improved in the fourth quarter as freight demand brought a surge in equipment orders.
The nation’s largest chain of dealerships sold 10,670 new Class 8 trucks at retail, a decrease of 28.8% compared to 2019. It accounted for 5.5% of the new U.S. Class 8 market. Industrywide, Class 8 retail sales were down 30.5%, according to ACT Research.
“Our Class 8 new truck sales results...
A government watchdog report has warned that the U.S. Department of Transportation has not fully assessed whether its workforce has the skills needed to oversee automation in the trucking and rail sectors.
The report was conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and delivered on Friday to Congress. It acknowledged that DOT, over the last four years, has identified many of the skills cited by private industry groups — including the American Trucking Associations and Women in Trucking...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-may-not-be-ready-to-take-on-automation-safety
A unanimous decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday to reallocate spectrum bandwidth set aside for vehicle safety could affect deployment of truck platooning down the road.
The agency’s four commissioners and Chairman Ajit Pai voted 5-0 to adopt new rules that repurpose 45 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum within the 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) band — currently used for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies such as platooning — for unlicensed operations such as Wi-Fi. The rules...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-platooning-at-risk-following-wi-fi-supersizing-by-fcc
Truck platoon technology company Locomation has announced a rare deal for the sector: a hefty purchase order from Wilson Logistics, a transportation logistics company based in Springfield, Missouri.
Under the terms of the agreement, at least 1,120 Wilson Logistics tractors are to be equipped with Locomation’s Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARC) technology, with the first units delivered in early 2022. Additionally, the deal amends the existing commercial agreement between the two companies to extend...
The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, the FreightWaves Carrier Summit began on Wednesday with a series of sessions focused on carriers, driver recruiting, the supply chain and technology. Plus, an upstart company wants to dig deeper into your supply chain, Blume Global wants everyone to have access to digital tools and FedEx sets peak season shipping charges.
Carrier Summit kicks offThe FreightWaves Carrier Summit kicked off on...
Truck platooning doesn’t quite capture the popular imagination in the same way as Level Four autonomy, a designation that refers to vehicles that can almost fully drive themselves. But new developments continue to chug along, the latest being the completion of a next-generation pilot by Locomation, a trucking technology startup based in Pittsburgh.
Platooning is the linking of two or three...