Technology and automation will define road transport’s future, but significant obstacles stand in the way, new International Road Transport Union (IRU) research shows.
Geopolitical uncertainty, such as Brexit and escalating trade wars, concern most transport companies (57% of 450 transport firms from 19 countries) which believe technology-driven innovation will be key to meeting tomorrow’s challenges.
This topic will top the agenda of the IRU World Congress “Innovation on the Move”, a new global event for transport, logistics and mobility in Oman on November 6-8.
Umberto de Pretto.
IRU, the world road transport organisation, urges the industry to fix transport’s digital foundations to fully benefit from automation and other innovations.
About 76% of the transport companies surveyed expect autonomous trucks to become a viable option on the roads within the next decade, for instance.
Of these, 29% believe they will be a reality in the next five years. Transport companies say automation’s main benefits will be in boosting productivity (50%) and helping cut costs (19%).
The risk of global recession and the challenge of keeping up with changing customer demand are jointly seen as the second biggest threats to transport companies at 52%.
“The global transport system touches the lives of each of the planet’s seven billion people, from the food we eat to the consumer goods we buy,” IRU secretary general Umberto de Pretto says.
“So it’s perhaps not surprising that many of the issues facing society today are also considered by transport companies to be their biggest challenges. These include some of the main themes that dominate the international agenda, including geopolitics, trade and the environment.”
Boris Blanche.
Transport companies recognise technology and innovation will be key to building a safe, successful and sustainable industry. One in three (33%) transport companies across every region believe that improving safety will be the biggest innovation opportunity, while one in five cite automation.
Barriers to adopting technology persist – with transport companies citing cost and investment (71%), followed by a limited understanding of the range of emerging technologies available (50%).
This suggests that pockets of the industry have yet to embrace new technologies and processes, and that work is needed to fix the digital foundations of the industry before technology-driven innovation can be optimised properly, the IRU says.
Similarly, while many transport companies believe autonomous trucks are just around the corner, the reality is that there’s a way to go before they become a safe, secure and sustainable option.
A lack of infrastructure investment also risks holding back technology developments, the IRU says.
IRU managing director Boris Blanche says; “There is no question that autonomous trucks will eventually be transformative for the industry – helping boost productivity, create efficiencies and enhance driver working conditions. But drivers will not become obsolete and, in fact, the industry must continue to encourage more drivers into the profession.”
