EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, received a first copy of the booklet Lessons learnt on the European Truck Platooning Challenge 2016.
This booklet, which contains results and evaluations on the Truck Platooning Challenge itself, has been presented during the TEN-T days in the famous Van Nelle factories in Rotterdam out of the hands of programme director EU Truck Platooning Challenge Dirk-Jan de Bruijn (Rijkswaterstaat).
The European Truck Platooning Challenge is a textbook illustration of the ‘learning and showing by doing’ approach promoted by the Dutch presidency, based on a healthy interaction between thinking and doing. Although the EU Truck Platooning Challenge was not a research project it provided a unique opportunity to gain experience and accumulate knowledge regarding cross border truck platooning on public roads with mixed traffic. Several sources have been used for an evaluation in order to consolidate this and provide building blocks for future European truck platooning corridors and initiatives. Elements of the ‘learning by doing’ approach is to take small steps, look back and use experiences those for next steps.
The EU Truck Platooning Challenge was initiated by the Netherlands during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2016. Six OEM brands – DAF Trucks, Daimler Trucks, Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania and Volvo Group – of semi-automated trucks have been driving in platoons, on public roads from several European cities and arriving at the Rotterdam harbor on April 6th 2016. The aim of the Challenge was to take irreversible steps in mobility and logistics by bringing platooning to the next step in the innovation lifecycle. This approach fits in seamlessly with the intention to start with real life test cases on our road network before summer 2017, initiated by dominant shippers and carriers.
The booklet can be downloaded here.
