Fostering truck platooning deployment: a systems approach

Abstract

Concerns regarding climate emergency and road safety are driving technological innovation in the domain of freight transport using driving automation as means to achieve safer and more efficient transport. Truck platooning has emerged as a solution for achieving both Vision Zero and Zero-emission goals by 2050. Even though there have been important technological advances, perceptions regarding technology readiness hinder the deployment of the technology. From the literature and focus groups sessions, we have identified a feedback loop where regulators see an opportunity for road safety improvement, but are waiting for the technology to mature, while OEMs require regulatory guidelines to select future investments. To support the deployment of truck platooning technology, we propose a mixed methodology building on Service Science and Systems Approach methods. Our goal is to identify key actions that act as external forces in the freight transport ecosystem, breaking the loop between regulation and technology. After mapping the transport ecosystem and identifying key stakeholders, we developed a System Dynamics model by designing four causal loops diagrams. From the analysis of the diagrams, we selected key actions to break the cycle and reconciling the goals of each stakeholder.