Whether truck platooning eventually becomes a realistic and viable cost-saving plan for trucking in the years ahead will be largely dependent upon investment and research by interested partners. A new agreement between Peloton Technology and Lockheed Martin suggests that the concept will certainly see the benefits of further exploration.
Platooning is ultimately simple and has origins in cycling and auto racing with the origin of Peloton's name being the tightly interwoven pack in cycle racing. In simplest terms it involves efficiently operating trucks on a highway in very close proximity where one vehicle will follow another at a specific distance via radar and wireless communication to create the equivalent of a highway train.
The agreement that was announced stated that Lockheed Martin will be joining a $17 million consortium of investors to explore and evaluate the technology being brought to market by Peloton Technology from Mountain View, California. It's a natural fit for Lockheed Martin who boast a historic commitment to the development of autonomous vehicles and driver assistance technology.
About Peloton Technology: Peloton is an automated vehicle technology company that utilizes vehicle-to-vehicle communications and radar-based active braking systems, combined with sophisticated vehicle control algorithms, to link pairs of heavy trucks. The safety systems are always active, and when the trucks are out on the open road, they can form close-formation platoons. The system controls braking and acceleration, similar to adaptive cruise control, and drivers remain fully engaged and retain steering control. The dramatic reduction in aerodynamic drag in these platoons provides unprecedented fuel economy savings for both the trailing and the leading truck.
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