FHWA Research and Technology Evaluation: Truck Platooning

Foreman, Christina; Keen, Matthew; Petrella, Margaret; Plotnick, Sarah · 2021 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Corporate Research, Technology, and Innovation Management

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Summary

This report evaluates the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) investment in truck-platooning research, specifically assessing the impact of two Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) projects: “Partial Automation for Truck Platooning” (PATP) and “Driver-Assistive Truck Platooning” (DATP). The study aims to determine how these initiatives advanced technical knowledge, improved data availability, and influenced the deployment of platooning technology, which links trucks via connectivity to improve fuel efficiency and highway mobility. The evaluation employed a logic model framework to analyze project inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Methodology included a review of project documentation and stakeholder interviews with researchers, industry partners, and government officials. The PATP project, led by UC Berkeley’s PATH program, developed a three-truck platooning system using cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) and conducted demonstrations in California and Virginia. The DATP project, led by Auburn University, focused on a two-truck wireless system, analyzing business cases, safety, and fuel consumption. Both projects utilized SAE Level 1 automation, where drivers maintained steering control while systems managed acceleration and braking. Key findings indicate that the research successfully addressed prior gaps in technical knowledge, human factors, and safety benefits. The DATP project demonstrated that two-truck platoons could achieve peak fuel savings of 7 to 10 percent without causing traffic delays. The research directly influenced follow-on studies regarding human factors and bridge impacts, though its effect on commercial deployment was mixed, with original equipment manufacturers citing concerns over economic viability. Federal funding exceeded $3.4 million, with partners contributing approximately $340,000 in cost-sharing. Stakeholders generally agreed that the benefits outweighed the costs, reporting a positive qualitative return on investment. The report concludes that FHWA’s research effectively increased stakeholder awareness and established the technical viability of truck platooning. Recommendations include fostering continued public-private partnerships, conducting periodic market forecasting to assess economic viability, incentivizing faster agreement execution to avoid delays, and ensuring broader dissemination of research findings. The study highlights that while technical hurdles were largely overcome, market adoption remains contingent on economic factors and further industry engagement.

Key finding

FHWA-funded truck-platooning research successfully addressed prior knowledge gaps and influenced follow-on studies, with stakeholders agreeing that the benefits outweighed the costs despite mixed impacts on immediate commercial deployment.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Provenance

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• teleoperation remote driving