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Autonomous Trucks Platoon Across Europe. What Will it Mean for Drivers?

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will autonomous driving effect people with CDL trucking jobs?Autonomous trucks platoons just pulled off a landmark feat. How it will impact fleet management and CDL driving jobs in the future remains to be seen.  Fierce Mobile IT  writer Alyssa Huntley recently wrote about the event—six brands of autonomous trucks that successfully platooned across Europe for the first time in history.

The automated trucks platooned across Europe and arrived in Maavlakte seaport in the Netherlands in April.

The journeys completed as part of the European Truck Platooning Challenge, an operation put on by Rijkswaterstaat. The Netherlands’ main infrastructure design, management and maintenance organization. Truck platooning could potentially be used for freight shipping, the article explained.

In platooning, two to three trucks drive in a single-file line – referred to as a column – along the highway. A human operates the lead truck, with autonomous trucks following connected via Wi-Fi. The lead truck determines speed and route, transmitted over the Wi-Fi connection.

Trucks follow more closely, freeing up space along the highway for other vehicles.

The Wi-Fi connection results in synchronized breaking and reduces the likelihood of sudden jolts or shocks, which could help traffic flow and speed up deliveries. Fuel costs could go down by up to 10%, which would come with a reduction in CO2 emissions, the article noted.

“This opens the door for upscaled, cross-border truck platooning,” Schultz van Haegen said. Van Haegen noted that the information gathered in the challenge proves useful during an informal European transport council meeting in Amsterdam on April 14. “It certainly helps my colleagues and I discuss the adjustments needed to make self-driving transport a reality,” he said.

The technology is still being refined. Autonomous driving has been a hot topic in the industry lately, but how will it affect people with CDL truck driving jobs? This is a topic we will continue to follow.

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Is a CDL trucking job right for you?

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A CDL trucking job is in high demand right now, which could be great news if you are considering joining the industry! Those who are interested in starting a career in trucking will like this article publicized by Transport Topics.

Writer John Cropley of The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, N.Y.) writes about the pros and cons of the trucking industry.

Here are some highlights from the article.

 1.  Starting wages are often more than $1,000 a week, and long-haul drivers with a high school diploma and a few years’ experience can earn $70,000 or more annually.

2. The volume of cargo trucked on American highways is continually increasing.

3. Truckers can move up to become a dispatcher or operations manager. Diesel technicians (they’re in short supply, too) can become a floor manager or department manager.

There are always opportunities for advancement, especially with the high demand of jobs right now. But along with all the perks, there are health, family and safety factors to consider. The author quotes Kendra Hems, president of New York State Motor Truck Association in Clifton Park, New York, saying:

4. “It’s not necessarily what you would consider a sexy career,” Hems said. To counter this, she said, “One of the things we try to do is educate potential candidates that this isn’t just a job, it’s a career path.”

Cropley continues with some cons about joining the industry.

5. Problems associated with the trucker lifestyle — inconsistent or insufficient sleep, smoking, obesity, unhealthy diet, sun damage to skin — remain up to the trucker to manage.

On top of that, purchasing and maintaining equipment gets costly. Cropley cites Timco Transportation of Glenville, N.Y. as one example.

6. A new truck and trailer combination costs Timco $182,000. Add a year’s worth of fees and surcharges and (company owner) Tim Adair is right around $190,000 for one big rig.

Like any career path there are going to be the ups and downs to CDL trucking jobs.

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One Trucker’s Load of a Lifetime, from Michigan to the Alaskan Frontier

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record-eagle.comThe Traverse City Record-Eagle recently published an uplifting feature about a truck driver who hauled a load from Michigan to Alaska for the first time ever.

Richard Robertson, a truck driver for Ennis Trucking in Traverse City,  Mich., hadn’t ever been gone for longer than 10 days as part of his CDL trucking job. But on February 3, the 17-year truck driving veteran found himself heading out West on a monthlong drive to and from Valdez, Alaska.

It was a drive Robertson will never forget.

“To me, it just sounded like fantasy,” Robertson said. “Alaska?”

The drive from Michigan to Seattle — his first destination — was about what he was used to, but conditions grew more unfamiliar as he headed north through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.

“Being out there and seeing it, it’s real pretty, but it’s deadly at the same time,” he said. “You’re a long ways from nowhere.”

Robertson said everything in Alaska looked like a winter wonderland.

In vivid writing, the newspaper also highlighted the dangers of the wintry roads.

Everything around him was winter white — the trees, the mountains, the clouds. The roads were covered in hard packed snow, and it was often difficult to tell whether the road would be slick or slushy.

Robertson drove from sunup to sundown — driving at night would be too risky — and often was the lone truck pulled off at rest stops.

“Other than being awed by the sights all around me, it was just the loneliness,” he said. “I have never felt so isolated.”

To show just how isolated Robertson was on his drive, writer Sarah Elms included this telling detail: “It was so desolate there wasn’t even road kill to keep him company.”

Now that’s desolate. But to Robertson, having the chance to drive in Alaska was awe-inspiring.

Robertson said he’s always relieved when he reaches a destination, but finally reading “Welcome to Valdez” on a snow-covered sign was a sense of accomplishment like none other…. “It was the highlight of my career,” he said. “

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5 tips for running your business more profitably as an owner operator

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5 top tips for owner operators | Owner operator truck driving jobsEditor’s note: This is Part 1 of a multi-part feature to help owner operators get the most from their business.

Terry Martin of Oakley Trucking, Little Rock, Ark., has held an owner operator trucking job for the last 20 years. He knows a thing or two about what it takes to thrive in owner operator trucking jobs long-term.

It’s not easy, he says, but with the right business practices, it can be done. Here are Martin’s top 5 tips for running your business more profitably as an owner operator, in his own words.

1. First thing, you gotta want to work.

If you’re not running, you’re not making any money. Chances are, you bought a big truck and you have a big truck payment. If that truck ain’t running, you ain’t making any money. You’ve got to want to work. I grew up on a farm. We worked from sunup to sundown. That’s just what I know, from being out here on the road, too.

2. Establish a strong preventative maintenance program.

Doing the little things, like making sure your truck’s greased and your tires have adequate air pressure, will make or break you. Preventative maintenance is crucial. Put some money aside for it. Because if you break down on the road, it’s going to cost you and it’s going to cost you big. There are a lot of little things an owner operator can catch before things start going wrong. Your batteries start aging, change them. Check the tire pressure and tread depth. If you have good air pressure, that will save you on fuel.

3. Find a good company that’s a good company for you.

They’re out there. Talk to other owner operators on the road and ask their opinions. Talk to the company and see how long owner operators typically stay there. If they have a high turnover ratio, that’s not too promising. Different companies do different things. Find a company that’s going to take care of you and keep you running.

4. Drive responsibly so you’ll get decent fuel mileage.

Try to maximize your fuel mileage as much as you can, because that’s where you’ll make a lot of your money. You can save a lot of money just by saving on fuel. The more you can cut down on your fuel costs, the more money you’ll put in your pocket.

5. Last thing, keep yourself healthy.

If you’re getting sick and not passing your physical, you can’t afford to be down. Eat right and try to get some exercise. When you’re not healthy and you’re not allowed to drive, you’re not going to be making a living.

Find the best owner operator job for you with Drive My Way! Registration is free! Watch our new overview video to learn more about how we can help you.

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