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Automation and AI in US freight could reshape diesel fuel demand
The article points to truck platooning and AI-assisted logistics, which could cut fuel use per unit and reduce inefficiencies across supply chains.
Automation, AI, and electric trucking are starting to change how freight is moved in the United States, with potential knock-on effects for transport fuel demand, OilPrice writes. The piece highlights that vehicle automation can improve freight efficiency, including by reducing fuel per unit and limiting supply chain inefficiencies, citing arguments by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire and referencing AI-assisted “co-pilot” efforts already used in barge transportation on the Mississippi River. It also points to truck platooning, where trucks travel in a tighter convoy using connectivity technology and automated driving support systems. The transport and mobility research team at the National Laboratory of the Rockies says platooning is a likely contender to reduce energy requirements for the heavy-duty vehicle sector, in part by synchronizing acceleration and braking and reducing aerodynamic drag. Examples cited include self-driving trucks operating in Texas and AI-assisted navigation on the Mississippi River, along with Aurora Innovation, a self-driving freight developer, which launched a program last year described in the article.