COLUMBUS, Ohio – A pair of tractor-trailers with automated truck platooning technology began traveling Interstate 70 between Columbus and Indianapolis, Ind., on Monday to deliver shipments for EASE Logistics.
The deployment is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Transportation’s DriveOhio initiative and the Indiana Department of Transportation to advance the adoption of truck automation technologies in the logistics industry across the Midwest.
“Everything we do at ODOT is driven by safety. We’re committed to reducing deaths on our roadways, and vehicle automation technologies can be part of the solution,” said Pam Boratyn, ODOT director. “Many vehicles on the road today have some degree of automated driving systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and automatic braking. All of these features are designed to improve safety and reduce driver stress.”
The goal of the partnership “is to create a safer, lower-stress environment for all drivers,” said Lyndsday Quist, INDOT commissioner.
The EASE Logistics trucks are equipped with platooning technology provided by Kratos Defense that electronically links the two vehicles and allows the driver of the lead vehicle to control the speed and direction of the second truck, enabling it to precisely follow the path of the leader.
During portions of the I-70 trips, the follower truck will automatically steer, accelerate and brake, supporting safe, efficient operation and consistent vehicle coordination. Professional drivers will be in the driver’s seat of both trucks throughout the deployment and can turn off the technology system and take over if needed.
“At Kratos, we have adapted advanced automated truck platooning technology – originally developed for the U.S. military – to address critical challenges facing commercial logistics, agriculture, energy and mining sectors, all vital to national security,” said Maynard Factor, vice president of Business Development at Kratos Defense. “This project offers a real-world opportunity to demonstrate how proven automated driving systems can increase safety, strengthen supply chain resilience and ensure economic vitality. Operating along the I-70 corridor between Ohio and Indiana enables us to showcase performance in complex, all-weather conditions essential to Midwest freight operations and accelerates readiness for broad adoption.”
The trucks are equipped with cameras and sensors for object detection that enable the following vehicle to automatically adjust its speed – or stop – if another vehicle or object moves in between the trucks. Because the follower truck travels at a closer distance than is typical, the trucks will have a purple light on the cab that is illuminated when they’re in platooning mode to alert law enforcement that they are digitally connected.
“This technology offers a complete safety system with redundancies that could make roadways safer. It is necessary that we continue to explore improving roadway safety,” said Chris Kinn, Ohio State Highway Patrol captain. “Unlike human drivers, automated vehicles do not drive impaired, text while driving, fall asleep at the wheel or recklessly speed. The goal of this technology is to take the human error out of the safety equation.”
The multiyear $8.8 million project, funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, aims to deploy varying levels of automation and integrate these technologies into truck fleets’ daily freight-hauling operations. Later this year, ODOT and INDOT will release a Request for Proposals for additional deployments of automated trucks in Ohio and Indiana. More information is available HERE.