MAN tests autonomous trucks on German highways

A9 near Munich

18. April 2024 6:53 p.m. Robert Klatt

MAN is testing an autonomous truck on the A9 near Munich. In the future, technology will compensate for the shortage of drivers and make the job of a truck driver more attractive.

Munich, Germany). In recent years, freight volumes in Germany have increased significantly, partly thanks to e-commerce and its high return rate. At the same time, shipping companies are increasingly short-staffed. According to the Federal Association for Road Transport, Logistics and Waste Disposal (BGL), the staff shortage already amounts to around 120,000 truck drivers. The German company MAN has therefore been working for a long time on autonomous trucks intended to transport deliveries without a driver.

MAN carried out the first test drives of the autonomous truck at an internal test site in 2023. The truck is now to be tested on the A9 north of Munich. It is supposed to cover the approximately ten kilometer route from Allershausen to the Fürholzen-West service area without human intervention.

Human surveillance

However, during test drives there is a so-called safety driver behind the wheel who can intervene if something goes wrong. In addition, the truck is constantly monitored by employees in a control center.

As MAN’s Gregor Jentzsch explains, autonomous trucks have many advantages, including eliminating driving times and breaks. So you can drive 24 hours a day. They also aim to reduce the number of accidents, often caused by tired or bored drivers.

A more attractive job for truckers

According to MAN, autonomous trucks can also make the work of truck drivers more attractive, because they no longer need to be on board during long highway journeys. Instead, they could take over from trucks in regional traffic and travel only the final, complex section of the route on country roads and through towns. Instead of having to sleep in the truck, they could go home once their shift was over.