One Driver – Multiple Vehicles

A newly developed semi-autonomous freight delivery platform allows a single driver to remotely operate multiple vehicles simultaneously. The new technology is designed to address a worldwide shortage of drivers while improving efficiency and drastically reducing emissions.

The autonomous electric transport (AET) vehicles – known as Pods – are managed over a secure channel to transmit real-time video and data to a network of monitoring stations in a variety of geographic locations. Operators will perform more complicated maneuvers such as parking, and will ultimately be able to control up to ten Pods at a time, depending on the driving conditions. The system can also switch between vehicles and operators as needed. In other words, rather than waiting for a Pod to load, unload, or recharge, operators could take control of another Pod that’s ready to go, increasing productivity of drivers and vehicles.

It has been estimated that the current average capacity utilization of transport vehicles is only about 25 percent. However, Pods can be operated round the clock, and by expanding driver-to-vehicle ratio, fleet efficiency and utilization can be greatly improved. The company reportedly hired their first drivers in February.