Keep on trucking without driver cabins : Autonomous Trucks without Driver Cabins

Volvo Trucks' Ver has received its first assignment

What would trucks look like if they didn't need to accommodate a human driver? Volvo Trucks' Vera vehicle is an exploration of this idea, doing away with the cabin entirely so it can more efficiently tow goods around ports and factories. The freewheeling four-wheeler has just been assigned its first task, and will soon go to work delivering containers to a port terminal in Sweden.

Revealed in September last year, the autonomous Vera is powered by the same drivetrain and battery packs found in Volvo's electric trucks. It is, however, more electric sled than electric big rig, consisting of four-wheels and a low-profile body that can be latched onto by standard load carriers and trailers.

The thinking is that one day fleets of connected Veras can scurry around ports, factories and other facilities with large loads on the back. Communicating with one another via a control center over the cloud, this could optimize traffic flow, keep operations running smoothly and minimize waiting times. Volvo Trucks is now set to see how well this works in practice, with Vera receiving its first assignment towing containers from a logistics center in Gothenburg, Sweden, to a nearby port terminal for distribution around the world. The pilot is a collaboration with logistics company DFDS, and will involve short strips with speeds limited to 40 km/h (25 mph).

Industries are looking to streamline transport assignments and make them more sustainable, therefore considering self-driving vehicles. mines and large closed construction sites are examples of environments that are favorable for these type of vehicles since they are well-controlled locations. the scania AXL is perfect for this as it is steered and monitored by an intelligent control environment. in mines, for example, the autonomous operations are facilitated by a logistics system that tells the vehicle how it should perform.