Freight News, Road

Tech is the future, but it will cost, says IRU survey

[ November 5, 2018   //   Chris ]

The trucking industry is optimistic about a new high tech future, and the majority believe that autonomous trucks will be a viable option in the next ten years, according to a survey of 450 firms by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) published on 5 November.

However, transport companies worry about the cost and investment required for full tech adoption, as well as a lack of knowledge/insight into what tech is actually available and realistic

In fact, transport companies are extremely optimistic about the timescales for automation – over three quarters (76%) of transport companies expect autonomous trucks to become a viable option within the next decade; of these, 29% believe they will be a reality in the next five years. Transport companies believe the primary benefit of automation will be boosting productivity (50%), followed by helping to cut costs (19%).

However, with transport companies citing the major challenges to adopting technology driven innovation as cost and investment (71%), followed by a limited understanding of the range of emerging technologies available (50%) this suggests that pockets of the industry have yet to embrace new technologies and processes.

Tags: IRU