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Volvo Teams with FedEx on Truck Platooning
Volvo AB and package delivery giant FedEx Corp. have begun testing truck platooning in North Carolina.
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Volvo AB and package delivery giant FedEx Corp. have begun testing truck platooning in North Carolina.
Under the program, three Volvo semi-trucks with various FedEx trailers—including 28-ft twin combinations—are operated in unison during highway driving based on inputs from the lead vehicle. The tests include staged and unplanned vehicle cut-ins to evaluate how the platooned trucks adapt to changing traffic conditions.
Automated platoons allow vehicles to travel in close packs with synchronized braking and acceleration, thanks to forward-looking sensors, adaptive cruise control and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Volvo says the trucks in the FedEx tests can maintain a 1.5-second gap between them at speeds as high as 62 mph.
Volvo says the automated convoys can significantly improve safety and traffic flow while reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. The truckmaker and several of its competitors have conducted similar tests in Europe, Japan and the U.S. in recent years.
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