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Geoff Roy 6th June 2016

What Will the HGV of the Future Look Like?

The freight industry is ever evolving. An industry that has frequently grasped the nettle of new technology and innovation. With demands on environmental issues, energy efficiency, safety, productivity and cost, there have been no shortage of new HGV designs in recent years – with the promise of significant changes in the future.

Begging the question, what will the HGV of tomorrow look like?

The Age of the Driverless Truck?

Much has been written about the birth of the Google-led driverless car that’s been trialling its way around the roads of Nevada and other regions over the past few years. But the era of the driverless truck may in fact be a lot closer than you’d think.

Once the preserve of fantasy, the driverless truck could in fact be seen on UK roads within the year.

The technology for platooning (using wireless connectivity for a driverless truck to follow, at very close range, the truck in front) already exists and has trialled successfully at various locations worldwide.

With trials set for a convoy of driverless trucks (led by a driver operated HGV at the front) set to go live around the Cumbrian part of the M6, this ground-breaking innovation was even given the green light to proceed during Chancellor George Osborne’s 2016 annual budget. The hope for driverless trucks and the concept of platooning is that it should bring added efficiency and productivity to the industry thanks to significant reductions in fuel consumption and the possibility of round the clock deliveries.

Improvements to Safety

Recent relaxation on the standard size and dimensions of HGVs is part of the pioneering effort to see considerably safer trucks in the future. From cabin shape redesigns to eliminate blind spots and reduce the impact of collisions to continual advances in wheel and braking technology, the trucks of tomorrow promise to deliver safer driving on the roads of Europe.

Add to this innovations within the automotive industry on safety aspects such as collision prevention technology, automatic braking and even drift alerts (to combat sleepy eyes) and the industry demonstrates a commitment to strive towards ever improved safety for drivers and fellow road users.

Driving in Comfort

The evolution of working conditions is likely to mean enhancements to the luxuriousness of drivers’ cabins. Changes to ergonomic designs of seating will help reduce work-related injuries such as back and joint pain; in turn helping reduce sick leave costs and improve productivity.

Of course, with the move towards driverless trucks, there’s the possibility that drivers will become more like operators, with the ability to change position and even move around the cabin, making for a more comfortable environment all round.

Environmentally Friendly

The impact that HGVs and the freight industry has on the environment is already under great scrutiny and this is a situation which will surely prompt more innovation for the future.

A great motivation behind the driverless truck is fuel efficiency with trucks able to drive in tight convoys, reducing drag and thereby using less energy.

But even in more traditional, human operated vehicles, the likelihood is that HGVs will be designed around greater efficiencies in carbon emissions and fuel consumption. Don’t be surprised to see a move away from traditional fossil fuel powered HGVs towards cleaner energy sources over the coming years and decades.

We are already seeing possibilities opening up in this area, thanks again to the relaxing of size regulations. Increasing the length and overall capacity of HGVs paves the way for manufacturers to explore new engine systems that run effectively on newer, greener fuel sources.