Getting on board with autonomous transport? Five things you need to know

1. It’s already happening

Many people think autonomous transport is only happening in the US or China, but it is already here in the Netherlands as well. Not on public roads, but in controlled environments, such as industrial estates or container terminals. At the Port of Rotterdam, several terminals are already deploying autonomous terminal tractors.

Jaco van Meijeren, Senior Lead Consultant in Supply Chain Innovation: 'When developing autonomous vehicles, we distinguish between several operational design domains (ODDs). These correspond to specific operational uses, which vary in complexity. For example, autonomous transport in an enclosed area – such as a terminal – is a relatively straightforward use case that is easy to control. On public roads, things are considerably more complex due to other road users and different types of vehicles. One key principle when adopting autonomous transport in the Netherlands is to start as simple as possible and add complexity from there.'

Elisah van Kempen, Researcher in Sustainable Transport and Logistics: 'This isn’t just about how complex duties and situations are, but mainly about the extent to which an environment is controllable. In enclosed areas, you have much more control than on public roads.'

2. What are the benefits of autonomous transport?

Van Kempen: 'In Europe, some 65% of logistics entrepreneurs say they’re hampered by a shortage of drivers. Autonomous transport could be a solution to that problem.' Does that mean it will cost jobs? Van Kempen clarifies: 'It will actually make up for vacancies that currently go unfilled. The sector is growing, but the labour market is shrinking. Moreover, some of these trips are boring and repetitive or even dangerous. Specialist work and remote monitoring will always require people.'

Van Meijeren: 'Besides the benefits for industry, society is also expected to reap the rewards of such benefits as reduced emissions, because the vehicles drive more efficiently. Other benefits include fewer traffic jams, better accessibility, and enhanced safety.'

3. Rethinking transport

Autonomous transport is not just a matter of automating existing trucks – it calls for entirely new principles. Van Kempen: 'At TNO, we’re currently identifying the requirements and preconditions for putting autonomous transport into practice. That includes looking at the roles of stakeholders. Who will own the autonomous trucks? Who will cover the costs and reap the benefits? And how will the trucks fulfil the driver’s other duties? Often these don’t just involve driving, but also connecting trailers, delivering consignment notes, and checking loads. Those logistics processes first need to be standardised and digitised.'

'This is needed primarily to ensure that the autonomous vehicles will understand what they’re supposed to do, but it’s also a good opportunity to take a critical look at your processes. For instance, a terminal in Germany achieved 40% efficiency gains just through standardisation and digitalisation, purely to make sure it was ready to run autonomous vehicles.'

Van Meijeren stresses that the new opportunities offered by autonomous transport require us to rethink the sector: 'At the moment, an autonomous vehicle can’t drive as fast as a vehicle with a driver, but it can run 24/7 and doesn’t require rest periods or trips back to base because the driver has to go home. This provides opportunities for other routes and driving schedules.'

4. How fast can autonomous vehicles go on the motorway?

Since autonomous vehicles are already here, when can we expect to see them on the A15 motorway, one of the busiest transport corridors in the Netherlands? Van Kempen cautiously predicts that testing on public roads may start in 2027. That was the year mentioned in the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management’s most recent letter to Parliament.

So why is it taking so long? Van Meijeren: 'Our risk appetite is very different from that of some US states. If there aren’t any rules in place, their approach is that anything goes. In Europe, we first need to ensure 100% safety and amend laws and regulations. That takes years.' Van Kempen: 'Current traffic laws still require a driver in the vehicle. There’s also the matter of liability regulations.'

Van Meijeren points out that this is precisely why TNO’s multidisciplinary approach is so important: 'We’re looking at the technology, the legislation and regulations, the impact on our logistics situation, and the societal impact in combination. Our goal isn’t to have autonomous transport everywhere as soon as possible ‒ only where it can be done safely and deliver benefits. Right now, this only covers enclosed areas such as the APM terminal at the Maasvlakte site in the Port of Rotterdam. In the future, this can expand to certain corridors or a dedicated network for autonomous transport.'

5. How can logistics companies get ready?

The technology has already come quite far – but does it make sense for companies to invest in and prepare for autonomous transport right now, when so much still needs to be regulated nationally and at the European level?

Van Meijeren: 'There’s this vicious circle for autonomous transport on public roads in the Netherlands at the moment. The Dutch vehicle registration authority (RDW) is still working on the laws and regulations, the government on the societal impact, and companies are still in the dark as to what efforts are required and what costs and benefits are involved. It therefore makes sense for companies to wait until there is more clarity.'

'However, the longer we wait, the further behind the Netherlands will fall. At TNO, we’re working with stakeholders such as hauliers, shippers, policymakers at all levels of government, safety regions, infrastructure managers, and truck manufacturers. Together, we’re carrying out applied research into what it takes to get autonomous transport off the ground, and how it can benefit the various companies and authorities involved. With these insights, stakeholders can make informed choices in the short term about the steps they’ll need to take to test and implement autonomous transport in logistics operations. This is how we break the vicious circle and make transport efficient, sustainable, and future-proof.'

At TNO, we are initiating much-needed cooperation and knowledge exchange between parties to develop future-proof transport concepts. Would you like to know more how to prepare for autonomous transport, help us, or get involved? Get in touch with our experts.