Platooning on Dutch roads no longer seems to be future music. Rijkswaterstaat has reached agreements with major companies such as Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Unilever on the short-term deployment of trucks driving in a column. This would ensure safer road transport and save on fuel consumption.
Speaking to BNR, TLN and Rijkswaterstaat reveal that a good number of real life cases will be on the road within a year. The trucks drive in a column, with the truck in front determining the speed. The other trucks follow at a short distance and brake or pull up when they receive a signal via WiFi. No driver is needed for this. The system is even more observant than a driver, according to Rijkswaterstaat. "The system is 25 to 40 times more alert, so I think it is much safer than a human," said Dirk-Jan de Bruijn of Rijkswaterstaat. The system allows trucks to drive less than a second apart, leaving more space on the road for other vehicles. As a result, it promotes traffic flow.
Knowledge institute TNO previously calculated that driving in columns could save a transport company a million euros a year. Trucks following each other at 1 second intervals together save about 10 per cent on fuel and CO2 emissions. Even the truck in front would save 8 per cent thanks to reduced air resistance. Moreover, it saves in costs when some trucks in the column can drive unmanned.
Smart mobility
Earlier this year, Rijkswaterstaat already organised a trial of platooning in the Port of Rotterdam. This took place as part of the Netherlands' EU presidency. The aim was to put smart mobility, including truck platooning, high on the European agenda. The pilot period to be held soon should also eliminate any errors in the system.
According to Arthur van Dijk of TLN, it is important that platooning is also tested frequently in practice. ''You have to look very carefully at which routes you apply it. If you are going to supply the inner city, it is not ideal to drive a very large truck anyway. There are now many more opportunities to drive more efficiently and sustainably, but also to come up with new logistics solutions in terms of driving times," Van Dijk told BNR.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
