It’s a technique that’s been used for years in the trucking industry, but now drafting, or truck platooning, is about to enter the world of autonomous driving known as level 2 truck platooning.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is beginning phase one of a project to test the feasibility of level 2 truck platooning and create a concept of operations and design. Building upon past and current research, the TTI team seeks to demonstrate the safety benefits, fuel savings and emission reductions achieved by extending vehicle automation to freight truck platoons. The project is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation’s Innovative Research Program.