Inspiration draws praise

A contingent of North American automotive journalists has had its first taste of autonomous truck technology, after media sampled Freightliner's Inspiration truck on public roads near Las Vegas, Nevada, recently.

The Inspiration truck was revealed in a spectacular presentation at Nevada's Hoover Dam in May, and was the first autonomous truck to be granted registration allowing it to be used on public roads.

The truck sports much of the same technology previewed by sibling Daimler brand Mercedes-Benz in its Future Truck 2025, which was first revealed in a closed trial on a German autobahn in July 2014.

Freightliner's Inspiration truck is fitted with a 'Highway Pilot' system that allows the truck to drive itself, using an advanced stereo camera and radar to monitor the road and surrounding vehicles to safely maintain progress.

After passing a special test to enable them to legally drive an autonomous vehicle in Nevada, journalists recently got behind the wheel themselves for a taste of transport's autonomous future. First they drove the truck in the usual manner, before activating the Highway Pilot and allowing the truck to guide itself.

The windy conditions put the Inspiration truck's technology to the test, but it came through with flying colours.

Jack Roberts from US-based publication CCJdigital.com said handing over control was an odd experience.

"The first time you do so, it's a decidedly strange feeling," he said.

"Your hands hover over the wheel for a few seconds waiting to grab it if something goes wrong. Except nothing goes wrong."

Canadian journalist James Menzies from TruckNews.com said the Highway Pilot system worked flawlessly in tough conditions.

"It was a perfect day to demonstrate its benefits, because the gusting crosswinds we were driving through can make driving tiring," he said.

"Highway Pilot took control and was able to handle the wind while I sat with my hands in my lap.

"Sometimes you don't even realise how busy you are when driving in these conditions, but sitting back and watching the steering wheel movements really emphasised the point."

Fellow Canadian Steve Bouchard, who writes for TodaysTrucking.com, was also impressed.

"The vehicle stays right between the marking lines, staying 3.5 seconds behind any other vehicle, exactly at the speed you programmed," he said.

"It is that easy and so similar to using cruise control."

Freightliner stresses that the technology isn't designed to replace the truck driver, who is still required to drive away from the highway and to carry out lane changes.

However, the integrated lane-keeping and collision-prevention systems at the heart of the Highway Pilot technology can allow the truck to operate autonomously across a range of driving conditions. The Highway Pilot regulates speed and actively steers and brakes the vehicle, allowing the truck to comply with speed limits, maintain a set distance to the vehicle in front, and slow to a complete stop if required.

With its Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 and Freightliner Inspiration truck, Daimler is positioning itself at the forefront of autonomous truck technology.

Following on from this most recent Freightliner trial, Mercedes-Benz has announced it will be conducting a trial of what it terms "the first series-production autonomous truck on public roads" in Germany on Friday (October 2).

trucksales.com.au will bring you more information on that event as it happens.