The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Logistics

The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Logistics
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The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Logistics
Introduction
The idea of Autonomous Vehicles has engrossed the imaginations of several generations since the beginning of the twentieth century. Often explained in the school of science fiction, widespread adoption of this technology has been regarded as a distant vision, or something humans expect in futuristic movies (Fritschy & Spinler, 2017). However, the truth is that scientists have been performing trials since the 1920s. With the help of the digital revolution, companies are already introducing prototypes of fully autonomous vehicles (Kassai et al., 2020). With ongoing trials, many leading corporations are discussing the advent of the next automotive revolution. Therefore, the journey to bring AV to the market has started. This race has attracted the attention of several stakeholders who constantly wonder how this technology will impact businesses and the economy. Despite the subject being open for debate, some scholars argue that a significant change could occur within the next few years (Mitrea & Kyamakya, 2017). Regarding logistics, researchers have emphasized how highway trucks could be the first vehicles to adopt the whole technology on public roads. Among several reasons, safety and cost-saving have been put as primary reasons (Coyle et al., 2015). The analysts expect the technology to expand from limited warehousing activities, where AVs are already present, to public roads, primarily through the line-haul transportation mode. Hence, with an imminent revolution, logistics companies are now trying to predict how the changes would impact their business models, markets, and eventually, their survival (Neuweiler & Riedel, 2017). That said, this research will examine how the integration of autonomous vehicles within the logistics and supply chain system will develop and assist businesses in maintaining a competitive advantage when fully adopted. The paper will also explore the key technologies that should be integrated within vehicles to ensure the evolution of this technology.
Research Questions
Based on the purpose of the study, the following research questions arise, which the study aims to answer.
* How will the integration of autonomous vehicles within the logistics and supply chain develop?
* How will AVs assist businesses in maintaining a competitive advantage when fully adopted?
* What are the key technologies that should be integrated within vehicles to ensure the evolution of this technology?
Material and Methods
This study of the future of AVs I logistics is based on a search of publically available information and publication. Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the internet were the sources of information. Key terms like “autonomous vehicles,” “driverless trucks,” “robotic vehicles,” “driverless cars,” “automated guided vehicle,” and “platooning” were used alongside other terms like “logistics” and “supply chain” to specify the intended focus. The most current...