Volvo Trucks and FedEx Demonstrate Truck Platooning  

Volvo Trucks North America, together with FedEx and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, used advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technology to conduct on-highway truck platooning as part of ongoing research collaboration.

The "platoon" consisted of three trained, professional truck drivers in Volvo VNL tractors, each pulling double 28-foot trailers. Through CACC, a wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology, the tractors and trailers remained in constant communication.

The tractors and trailers traveled at speeds of up to 62 mph while keeping a time gap of 1.5 seconds, maintaining a closer distance than what is typical for on-highway tractors.

Staged and unplanned vehicle cut-ins demonstrated how the technology handles common traffic situations.

The demonstartion is the result of an ongoing research collaboration. Since April 2018, three Volvo VNL tractors have been paired with various combinations of FedEx trailers to simulate real-world routes and trailer loads.

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The potential benefits of platooning that are being studied during this collaborative research include faster responses to hard braking while maintaining safety and fuel efficiency.

The vehicle-to-vehicle communication system helps reduce the reaction time for braking and enables vehicles to follow closer, automatically matching each other's speed and braking.

The advanced technology is meant to serve as an aid – not a replacement – for skilled professional truck drivers.

When trucks can drive closely behind one another, fuel efficiency is improved as a result of reduced drag. Reducing the traveling distance between vehicles also allows for greater highway utilization, helping alleviate traffic congestion.

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