Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

Here in Atlanta, Georgia, a bunch (pride, brood, covey, ?) of Waymo cars, when without a passenger, have taken to going to a roundabout in a residential neighborhood and continuously circling, leading to congestion for the residents. They are unable to get out of their driveways.

Perhaps the software needs an upgrade.

Nevertheless, driverless trucks (fork trucks, service trucks, tool boxes, ?) are coming, probably faster than we want to believe.

Drones have been around for ten years or more and are getting quite good at elevated inspection tasks.

I am watching the driverless trucks. They are getting better, more refined and so forth. Human drivers for trucks are in short supply and make mistakes.

Roads are continuously being over loaded. What about autonomous trucks riding on the rails? We have sensors and software to enable slipping trucks in between the trains. I have contended for a long time that empty railroad tracks are underutilized railroad tracks. There could be simple (no intermodal cranes) jumping on and jumping off places on the rails for the trucks, and they could be charged a fee by the railroads for using rails.

Yes, we have intermodal loads already, but this would be an additional way to move trucks three or four hundred miles without loading them at special yards with cranes and so forth. Obviously this would mitigate the ever-increasing loads on the highway.

Beyond this, we need to ask what tasks are being done in a factory that could be done in an autonomous truck which is underway? Could we slit and pack tissue, while in transit? It doesn't seem possible today, but if we could slit and pack tissue in transit, we could reduce the size of converting plants (a one-time savings) and the inventory of tissue (a continuous savings).

If the "tractor" pulling the truck was designed to fit completely beneath the trailer, trailers could be built with doors on both ends. The front trailer could be full of parent rolls, the center trailer could be the converting equipment, and a trailing trailer could hold the finished goods.

What else could be handled this way? Labels?

In general, we seem to have a shortage of drivers for conventional trucks and a shortage of transit ways (roads) for driven trucks. We now have the technology to stretch our capabilities in new directions. It is just a matter of taking risks.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Autonomous Innovation and the Future of Logistics: A Study Guide

This study guide examines the evolving landscape of transportation as presented in Jim Thompson's analysis of autonomous vehicles, drone technology, and the potential for integrating manufacturing with transit. It explores the current challenges facing traditional trucking and the unconventional solutions proposed to maximize infrastructure efficiency.

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Part I: Comprehension Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences based on the information provided in the source text.

1. What specific problem did residents in Atlanta, Georgia, experience with Waymo autonomous vehicles?
2. According to the text, what is the current state of drone technology and its primary application?
3. Why does the author argue that driverless trucks are becoming a necessity for the logistics industry?
4. What is the author's "long-held contention" regarding the current use of railroad infrastructure?
5. How does the proposed rail-based autonomous truck system differ from existing intermodal load methods?
6. What financial arrangement is suggested between the operators of autonomous trucks and the railroads?
7. Explain the concept of mobile manufacturing as it relates to the tissue industry.
8. What are the two primary types of savings that could result from "in-transit" tissue converting?
9. What specific design modification to the truck "tractor" would be required to facilitate multi-trailer manufacturing?
10. What does the author identify as the two main shortages currently hindering conventional transportation?

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Part II: Quiz Answer Key

1. What specific problem did residents in Atlanta, Georgia, experience with Waymo autonomous vehicles? Waymo cars without passengers began continuously circling a residential roundabout, creating significant traffic congestion. This behavior prevented residents from being able to exit their driveways, suggesting the software requires an upgrade.
2. According to the text, what is the current state of drone technology and its primary application? Drones have been in use for ten years or more and have become highly proficient in their field. Their primary application, as noted in the text, is performing elevated inspection tasks.
3. Why does the author argue that driverless trucks are becoming a necessity for the logistics industry? The author highlights that there is currently a short supply of human truck drivers. Furthermore, human drivers are prone to making mistakes, whereas autonomous trucks are becoming increasingly refined and better at handling transport tasks.
4. What is the author's "long-held contention" regarding the current use of railroad infrastructure? The author contends that empty railroad tracks represent an underutilized resource. He suggests that autonomous trucks could be programmed to "slip in" between traditional trains to maximize the utility of the rails.
5. How does the proposed rail-based autonomous truck system differ from existing intermodal load methods? Unlike current intermodal systems, this method would not require special yards or large intermodal cranes for loading. Instead, it would utilize simple "jumping on and jumping off" places to move trucks three or four hundred miles.
6. What financial arrangement is suggested between the operators of autonomous trucks and the railroads? The author proposes a fee-based system for the use of the infrastructure. Specifically, the railroads would charge a fee to the autonomous truck operators for the privilege of using the rail tracks.
7. Explain the concept of mobile manufacturing as it relates to the tissue industry. The text proposes slitting and packing tissue while the product is actually in transit between locations. This would involve a multi-trailer setup where the center trailer contains the converting equipment necessary to process the raw materials.
8. What are the two primary types of savings that could result from "in-transit" tissue converting? The industry would see a one-time savings through the reduction in the physical size of converting plants. Additionally, it would benefit from continuous savings by reducing the overall inventory of tissue that needs to be stored.
9. What specific design modification to the truck "tractor" would be required to facilitate multi-trailer manufacturing? The tractor pulling the load would need to be redesigned to fit completely beneath the trailer. This allows trailers to be built with doors on both ends, enabling a flow of materials from a trailer of "parent rolls" through the converting equipment to the finished goods trailer.
10. What does the author identify as the two main shortages currently hindering conventional transportation? The industry is currently facing a shortage of human drivers to operate conventional trucks. Simultaneously, there is a shortage of transit ways, or roads, to accommodate the volume of driven trucks.

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Part III: Essay Questions for Further Analysis

The following questions are designed to encourage deeper critical thinking and do not have provided answers.

1. The Evolution of Infrastructure: Analyze the author's argument regarding the underutilization of railroads. What are the potential logistical hurdles and benefits of mixing autonomous road vehicles with traditional rail traffic?
2. The Impact of Mobile Factories: Discuss the economic implications of moving manufacturing processes "in-transit." How might this change the traditional relationship between production centers and consumer markets?
3. Software vs. Hardware in Automation: Using the Atlanta Waymo incident as a case study, discuss the importance of software refinement in the deployment of autonomous systems. How do unpredictable "real-world" behaviors affect public perception of new technology?
4. Efficiency and Sustainability: Evaluate how the proposed changes to truck design and rail usage could mitigate the "overloading" of modern highways. What role does technology play in stretching existing capabilities?
5. Risk and Innovation: The author concludes that expanding capabilities is "just a matter of taking the risks." Assess the types of risks (financial, safety, or regulatory) involved in transitioning to the autonomous manufacturing and transport models described.

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Part IV: Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

Autonomous Truck A truck capable of sensing its environment and operating without human involvement; also referred to as a "driverless" truck.

Converting Plant A manufacturing facility where raw materials (such as parent rolls) are processed and "converted" into finished products like tissue.

Elevated Inspection Tasks involving the examination of high-altitude or hard-to-reach structures, currently performed efficiently by drones.

Intermodal Loads Freight that is moved using multiple modes of transportation (e.g., rail and truck) usually involving standardized containers and cranes.

In-Transit Processing The concept of performing manufacturing or packaging tasks while the goods are moving from the point of origin to the destination.

Parent Rolls Large, industrial-sized rolls of material (such as tissue) that serve as the raw input for the converting and packaging process.

Roundabout A circular intersection where drivers (or autonomous software) must navigate traffic flow; cited as a point of software failure for Waymo vehicles in Atlanta.

Tractor The powered header unit of a truck used for pulling trailers; the text suggests a redesign where this unit fits entirely beneath the trailer.

Transit Ways Physical routes for transportation, specifically roads and highways, which the author describes as currently overloaded.

Waymo A specific brand of autonomous vehicle mentioned in the text that experienced software issues in a residential Georgia neighborhood.

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