Otto and Anheuser-Busch have completed the world’s first commercial shipment by self-driving truck.
With software created by self-driving truck pioneer Otto and support from the state of Colorado, the self-driving truck hauled a fully loaded trailer of Budweiser beer more than 193km at 88km per hour on I-25 from Fort Collins, Colorado, through Denver, to Colorado Springs.
A professional truck driver was in the vehicle for the entire route, monitoring the delivery from the sleeper berth as the truck completed the route – exit-to-exit – entirely on its own without any driver intervention.
In Car and Driver article ‘Self-Driving Beer Truck Makes 120-Mile Delivery—But There’s One Concern’, writer Peter Bigelow questions how the project was vetted as the driver was located in a sleeper berth – a location that would leave him or her unable to respond to any immediate problems that arose along the way.
For testing purposes, other states require a driver behind the wheel, reports Bigelow. In California, for example, where more than a dozen automotive and technology companies have logged years of experience testing self-driving vehicles, a law requires that a human operator be present behind the wheel for testing on public roads.
Other states have similar laws that govern testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads. But not Colorado.
“We don’t really have regulations that have expressly enabled or prohibited a driverless vehicle,” Shailen Bhatt, executive director of CDOT, is quoted as saying. “So it was sort of in this gray area. We’ll work on this going forward.”
Despite this concern, this milestone marks the first time in history that a self-driving vehicle has shipped commercial cargo, making it a landmark achievement for self-driving technology and the transportation industry.
“The incredible success of this pilot shipment is an example of what is possible when you deploy self-driving technology. It also showcases the importance of collaboration with forward-looking states like Colorado and innovative companies like Anheuser-Busch,” says Otto co-founder Lior Ron.
“By embracing this technology, both organisations are actively contributing to the creation of a safer and more efficient transportation network. We are excited to have reached this milestone together, and look forward to further rolling out our technology on the nation’s highways.”
Otto and Anheuser-Busch share a vision of enhancing the safety and efficiency of America’s highways that includes enabling fuel-efficient driving by reducing emissions from freight trucks, which are currently responsible for 28% of all road vehicle C02 emissions, and enhancing truck utilisation by providing a sustainable solution for the driver shortage that continues to put pressure on drivers to work long hours at the risk of safe driving.
