From the cover
Driverless semis take on Texas
The breakdown
2-minute impact
Goff said autonomous trucks differ from cars as they have more predictable driving patterns and fewer obstacles, such as pedestrians, cyclists and stop lights, compared to taxis. Cruise and Waymo also have larger fleets than autonomous truck companies do. “The Kodiak system doesn’t get tired, it doesn’t get distracted, it doesn’t check its phone, it doesn’t have a bad day and take it out on the road,” he said.
Autonomous vehicle companies are required to self-report any crash incidents to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Waymo and Cruise take the lead in collisions among 39 companies with 240 and 151 crashes respectively, according to data collected from July 2021 to Feb. 15 by the NHTSA. Third in line is Gen- eral Motors, which owns Cruise, with 144 crashes, according to NHTSA.
By the end of 2024, Texas drivers could look over to see a semitruck traveling down the highway with no one in the driver’s seat. Leading the charge in the Austin area is autonomous truck company Kodiak Robotics, which is already hauling IKEA furniture and Tyson Foods chicken daily on Texas roads. Currently, Kodiak trucks have a “safety driver” monitoring the truck as it carries freight for hundreds of miles. By the end of the year, Kodiak will send trucks out unmanned. Autonomous vehicles could adapt to be safer than a human driver, resolve supply chain issues and make life for truck drivers easier, Dan Goff, head of policy at Kodiak, said. Austin Curtis, CEO of San Marcos-based freight brokerage Guadalupe Logistics, said driverless semis could tackle routes that go into unsafe areas or are financially unviable. “Every day loads don’t ship because we can’t find a driver to deliver it,” Curtis said.
Autonomous vehicle crashes
Waymo
240
Cruise
151
Car
Semitruck
General Motors
144
From July 2021 to Feb. 15, Waymo, Cruise and General Motors self-reported the most crash incidents among the autonomous vehicle companies that self reported nationwide.
Kodiak 3 5 Aurora
0
50
100
150
200
250
SOURCE: NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Explained
Autonomous trucking companies such as Torc Robotics, Aurora and Gatik use sensors, cameras and mapping software as safety features, though each company has a different approach. Below are examples of how Kodiak addresses concerns: How do Kodiak trucks navigate obstacles? Unlike other self-driving vehicles that use heav- ily-detailed maps to navigate, Kodiak trucks use
a simpler map that can be updated regularly. The trucks also have 18 sensors that monitor all parts of the vehicle and its surroundings 10 times each sec- ond. This technology allows the semis to respond to changing road conditions, such as an accident. How do Kodiak’s deal with adverse weather? The trucks routinely operate in inclement weather, as its sensors are able to see through rain
and fog better than the human eye can, according to the company. During a storm, the semis slow down to match the environment on the road and can pull over to wait it out. How do Kodiak trucks respond to tire blowouts? In the event of a tire blowout, Kodiak’s system triggers its "fallback plan" by turning on its hazards and pulling to a safe stop on the side of the road.
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