Truck platooning

A researcher from Cardiff University will demonstrate how truck platooning can improve the UK’s transport industry after securing funding from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

The project led by Dr Emrah Demir, a Panalpina Associate Professor of Manufacturing and Logistics from Cardiff Business School, will shed light on the practical use of autonomous vehicles for the UK’s freight industry.

Platooning is one of the ways autonomous vehicles operate. The term refers to the linking of two or more trucks to create a train using a network of devices increasingly known as Internet of Things and automated driving support systems.

Social and environmental value

Dr Emrah Demir said: “The arrival of autonomous vehicles is an opportunity to improve peoples’ daily lives by offering alternative transport options and cheaper deliveries at off-peak times, which can reduce congestion on roads...”

“These vehicles also support the sharing economy concept which leads to mutually beneficial business relationships between logistics companies. This means companies can share vehicle capacity and cost with others to achieve more efficient and cheaper delivery.”

The potential benefits of platooning include greater fuel economy due to reduced air resistance, reduced congestion and substantially shorter commutes during peak periods.

Pushing the boundaries

Based in the Panalpina Centre for Manufacturing and Logistics Research, Dr Demir will work to deliver benefits for academia and a range of governmental and industry organisations too.

Fiona Palmer, Learning and Development Manager at CILT, said: “The seed corn fund is awarded to projects that push the boundaries of research for application within the logistics and transport fields...”

The CILT in the UK is the membership organisation for professionals involved in the movement of goods and people and their associated supply chains.

First established in 1919, the CILT in the UK is a registered charity and part of the CILT international family with over 33,000 members in countries across the world.

The research is underway and Dr Demir will present his findings at a workshop in Cardiff University next summer and at the Logistics Research Network annual conference.