The trucking industry is one of the key arteries of global trade, which has undergone a profound transformation driven by technological advances in recent years. We are at a fascinating juncture where transport companies are, on one hand, grappling with an uncertain international landscape—marked by conflicts, rising fuel prices, and evolving consumer demands—and, on the other hand, poised at the threshold of a digital revolution.
Innovative solutions can increase efficiency, safety and sustainability. But do they have a real chance to capture the TSL industry, and in particular the sector that interests us most - transport? We have selected 5 technologies that seem particularly promising to us.
It sounds like the plot of a science fiction film. How can autonomous trucks be expected to navigate our roads when accidents still occur with fully controlled vehicles? However, those worried that autonomous trucks will replace drivers can rest assured that this transition will not happen too soon.
How does it even work? Autonomous vehicles are equipped with specialised sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence. Although this allows them to move on the road without human intervention, at this stage of development we can rather think of some kind of substitute for autonomy. Initially, self-driving trucks will only move in enclosed areas, such as ports or warehouses, under human supervision.
Interestingly, the first attempts to create an autonomous vehicle already took place in the 1960s and 1970s - in 1977, the Japanese succeeded in creating the first autonomous passenger car. Today, companies such as Waymo, Tesla and Embark are at the forefront of the development of such vehicles.
While trucks present a much greater challenge due to their size, load and trailer, they would certainly bring countless benefits, one of the primary ones being efficiency and economy. An unmanned truck could operate continuously, as the need for rest breaks would disappear. This would significantly reduce delivery times and offer the chance to get the most out of the fleet. While this would be great for popular long-distance routes in Europe, autonomous trucks in the US have a slightly better chance. The road network there is much less congested.
Poland's position as a key transit route in Europe could accelerate the adoption of transport industry technology solutions, providing faster and more reliable cross-border transport. For the time being, there are several pilot projects underway.
However, the revolution in the transport industry is not merely a distant dream. While autonomous vehicles remain a curiosity for now, there are already innovative technologies and transport management solutions that are worth exploring.
Fleet management systems (FMS) and transport management systems (TMS) are nowadays indispensable tools for any transport company that wants to be modern. Such systems provide us with various useful functions, such as route planning, scheduling regarding vehicle maintenance, driver management and fuel consumption monitoring.
TMS and FMS solutions have revolutionised the way transport companies operate. Programmes such as the fireTMS we offer, for example, provide real-time data and analysis so that:
Anyone working in the transport industry knows that this can only mean one thing - reducing costs and improving operational efficiency. Fleet management from a single programme makes all operations organised and transparent.
Polish transport companies are increasingly implementing technologies such as ours to remain competitive. TMS integration can help better manage extensive logistics networks, crucial for a country like Poland - with a rapidly growing e-commerce sector and a strategic location in European supply chains.
Things are a little different for electric trucks than for autonomous vehicles, especially if we cast an eye on the Last Mile Delivery sector, i.e. distribution and courier companies. The sight of a courier in an electric car no longer surprises anyone these days - and very well! For vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes moving around large cities, the electric model is performing well.
However, the road to a greener future is proving to be a long one. Electric trucks, like autonomous ones - due to their size, weight and the length of the routes they travel, present an incomparable challenge to passenger cars. The European infrastructure still has an underdeveloped charging network, the batteries of electric trucks are heavy and their range is quite short. However, leading manufacturers such as Tesla, Volvo and Daimler are not giving up in their attempts to develop electric trucks with increased range and better-charging infrastructure.
The key advantage of such vehicles is obvious - zero tailpipe emissions and therefore a significant reduction in the transport industry's carbon footprint. Currently, trucks and commercial vehicles account for around 25-30% of CO2 emissions from road transport in Europe. The emergence of a larger-scale alternative would be a big breath of relief for the planet.
Alternative fuels could also help in the fight against climate change and air pollution, issues that are becoming increasingly important in urban areas. Hauliers are taking an interest in this topic, LNG, among others, which is a low-emission fuel, had its moment of popularity, but after the increases, the demand for it has decreased.
What exactly is big data? We are talking about huge data sets - so huge that we need innovative technologies to process them. Although analysing this data requires us to enter the world of cutting-edge technology, it can be very profitable - big data allows us to extract information that can be useful to us on many levels in the transport business.
Big data and analytics are changing the trucking industry in part by providing deeper insights into various aspects of operations. Analysing vast amounts of data from various sources, such as GPS, onboard sensors and weather forecasts, can be very useful in planning operations.
Big data enables transport companies to optimise routes, predict maintenance needs and improve fuel efficiency. That is, everything a growing transport company cares about. Predictive analytics can, for example, predict potential breakdowns of our vehicles, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing unexpected breakdowns.
OK, but how do we leverage big data? First of all, we need to take care of our IT infrastructure, invest in servers or cloud solutions, take care of databases, and install sensors and telematics in vehicles. It is worth thinking about appropriate data analysis tools and FMS and TMS solutions, which we have already mentioned. It can be a good move to hire a data analyst or big data specialist to effectively implement and maintain big data systems.
Polish companies in the transport industry can use Big Data to optimise transport operations. With professional data analysis, they can improve their supply chains, reduce delivery times and cut costs. This is particularly important in Poland's fast-growing transport sector, where efficiency and reliability are paramount.
When running a transport company, we should always be mindful of our drivers - fortunately, the latest technologies come to our aid in taking care of this most important of our resources. A professional driver employed in Poland covers some 87,000 kilometres a year, which means that he could circumnavigate the globe twice in one year. With so many kilometres, it is worthwhile supporting experience with an appropriate safety system.
Although ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are not new, they are developing rapidly and becoming more widely used. They significantly enhance the safety of truck transport by helping drivers to perform various tasks. They include various useful functions:
ADAS in trucking is a huge support for professional drivers. It significantly reduces the risk of accidents, in some cases automatically taking corrective action. In addition to these types of systems, manufacturers are increasingly releasing slightly larger driver cabs, which promote greater comfort and better rest after 8-11 hours on the road.
Trucking is experiencing a technological renaissance of sorts. This is great news for transport company owners and professional drivers alike. The innovations we have mentioned are not novelties of distant ideas, but real solutions that can improve efficiency, safety and sustainability. As these technologies continue to develop and gain popularity, the future of trucking in Poland looks promising, opening the door to a more sustainable and efficient transport sector.
