that truck tailgating your TR

[Peter Cobbold]

might be under remote control:

https://theconversation.com/hgv-driver-shortage-remote-controlled-lorries-could-prevent-future-logistical-nightmares-167930

The Conversation is open to comments.

Peter

[RobH]

Who better to oversee delivery of this nightmare, than that well known technological powerhouse the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.  

Let us pray the thing gets no further than the present test track.

[barkerwilliams]

Now is the time to test autonomous lorries refuelling the filing stations.

Alan

[Bluestone]

This possibility was covered in the Economist magazine some time ago - a brave new world and all that. I must say the idea worries me, thanks mainly to Steven Spielberg's 1971 film 'Duel'. Who would want one of them lorries tailgating their TR !

Ray

[North London Mike]

''Who would want one of them lorries tailgating their TR !'' 

[harlequin]

This concept has been around for a while using dedicated roads,  its called a railway!

George 

[RogerH]

1 hour ago, harlequin said:

This concept has been around for a while using dedicated roads,  its called a railway!

George 

Interestingly, driverless railways are easy. It is just a matter of following the signals which could also be automated.

Vehicles on roads are a different matter but may become reality before the railways.  Power of the Unions and long may it continue.

 

Roger

[Ian Vincent]

1 hour ago, RogerH said:

Interestingly, driverless railways are easy. It is just a matter of following the signals which could also be automated.

Vehicles on roads are a different matter but may become reality before the railways.  Power of the Unions and long may it continue.

 

Roger

I can’t argue that unions aren’t a good thing but when they use their power to keep people in jobs that with modern technology are redundant, they are abusing that power. 

Rgds Ian

[stillp]

14 hours ago, barkerwilliams said:

Now is the time to test autonomous lorries refuelling the filing stations.

Alan

Or even direct pipeline connections to the distribution depots... Remember Buncefield?

Pete

[harlequin]

This country is already criss crossed by a network òf underground fuel delivery systems, admittedly its a military only one that links every RAF base and probably bases for the army and navy also.

We have one about a 1/2 mile from us and every day a helicopter flies along it checking all is well

George 

Edited September 29, 2021 by harlequin

[john.r.davies]

A helicopter?  Checking for fuel leaks? Are they looking for something like this? 

[RobH]

More likely checking that no-one has tapped into it. 

[Peter V W]

19 hours ago, North London Mike said:

''Who would want one of them lorries tailgating their TR !'' 

Dislike, Mike

[TorontoTim]

On 9/29/2021 at 2:58 AM, harlequin said:

This concept has been around for a while using dedicated roads,  its called a railway!

George 

This is actually where I think driverless cars have their sweet-spot.  Don't try to replace cars, replace trains - do the vast majority of any given journey along defined, specifc routes and only deviate for the last few miles to go from the (ex)rail track to the specific destination. 

Surely far smarter and efficient than try to navigate human traffic...

[stuart]

10 hours ago, TorontoTim said:

This is actually where I think driverless cars have their sweet-spot.  Don't try to replace cars, replace trains - do the vast majority of any given journey along defined, specifc routes and only deviate for the last few miles to go from the (ex)rail track to the specific destination. 

Surely far smarter and efficient than try to navigate human traffic...

Welcome to Britain in the 1950`s before Dr Beeching when most did go by train..

Stuart.

[john.r.davies]

It is bizarre that the thinking on electric HGVs is that the battery to payload ratio for heavy goods is very poor, so that it is trending towards overhead electric cables, effectively trolley busses.   Or, as said above, road railways.    Thinking about moving goods again by rail, instead of ever faster passenger transport, would be more valuable for the future.

John

[stillp]

10 hours ago, stuart said:

Welcome to Britain in the 1950`s before Dr Beeching when most did go by train..

 

There wasn't much choice then though, very few private cars, and a lot fewer trucks.

This is an interesting read - it suggests that road transport was already killing the railways long before Beeching.

Pete

Edit - forgot the link! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts

Edited October 1, 2021 by stillp
Forgot the link

[SuzanneH]

3 hours ago, stuart said:

Welcome to Britain in the 1950`s before Dr Beeching when most did go by train..

Stuart.

Let’s go back to this. 

[stuart]

1 minute ago, SuzanneH said:

Let’s go back to this. 

There was a lot of commercial traffic on the canals, there still is a little.

Stuart.