The US Department of Transportation has released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to assess various aspects of in-service truck platoons that are delivering commercial goods by a fleet operator on their common delivery routes over an extended time.
The objectives of this BAA are to develop an innovative and synergistic truck platooning pilot deployment concept, build partnerships among stakeholders, and prepare a comprehensive deployment plan and proposal that enables the assessment of such a concept.
It will accelerate deployment of cooperative automated vehicle technologies to support the freight industry, enabling trucks to safely follow each other at distances that save fuel, thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness of freight shippers and lowering the costs of landed goods for consumers. The aim is to partner with entities that have already completed development of truck platooning systems and are ready to deploy in-service freight hauling.
As part of this project, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is interested in the evaluation and documentation of best practices related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver training, driver fatigue prevention, pre-trip CMV inspections, roadside inspections conducted by State enforcement agency partners, and the operations and maintenance by fleet operators of vehicle components that are critical to safe truck platooning operations.
Aaron is an automotive journalist living in Wyoming, USA. His background includes technology, mechanics, commercial vehicles, and new vehicle evaluations. Aaron is a member of several automotive media groups and writes for many well-known publications.