WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking for truck drivers to help evaluate distractions while driving trucks equipped with autonomous technology.
The research will assess driver readiness when assuming control of trucks of level-2 and level-3 autonomous technology, a news release stated.
“The research is taking place because the government has found knowledge lacking as far as real-world implementation of autonomous technology equipped commercial vehicles,” according to the news release.
Level 2 vehicles are equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These vehicles can control both steering and accelerating/decelerating but falls short of self-driving because a human sits in the driver’s seat and can take control of the car at any time.
Level 3 vehicles are equipped with “environmental detection” capabilities and can make informed decisions for themselves, such as accelerating past a slow-moving vehicle.
These still require human override, and the driver must remain alert and ready to take control if the system is unable to execute the task.
“Lower levels of automated driving system (ADS)-equipped CMVs present an environment that is ripe for overreliance,” according to the Department of Transportation. “When an L3 vehicle alerts the driver that a takeover is required, the driver needs to have situational awareness to resume full control of the vehicle. Engagement in non-driving secondary tasks may prevent the driver from maintaining situational awareness of the driving environment.”
A recently completed study by FMCSA found a lack of research related to ADS-equipped CMVs. To date, most commercial ADSs on U.S. roadways are in passenger vehicles, and CMV ADSs are only recently being implemented in real-world operations. Therefore, FMCSA needs more data on ADS-equipped CMVs to understand driver behavior and policy implications.
The FMCSA is looking for 100 drivers to participate in the experiment. Eligible drivers will hold a valid commercial driver’s license, currently drive a CMV, be 21 years of age or older, and pass the motion sickness history screening questionnaire.
“We anticipate 100 participants in total for the driving simulator study. Fifty drivers will participate in the L2 study sessions, and the other 50 drivers will participate in the L3 study sessions,” DOT officials said. “During consent, each participant will agree to participate in both the L2/L3 simulator study session and the training study session.”
Data will be collected over two study sessions. The first study session will collect data on the effects of non-driving secondary tasks and readiness to resume control the CMVs.
The second study session will assess the effectiveness of driver training to improve safety while operating an L2 or L3 CMV.
“Questionnaire data will be collected prior to the simulator study, during the simulator study, and after the simulator study,” the DOT said. “In addition, participants will complete questionnaires about the training in the second study session. All questionnaires will be preloaded in an app format for drivers to complete on a tablet.
According to FMCSA’s most current significant rulemaking report, the agency aims to issue the proposed proposed rule on integrating ADS-equipped trucks onto roads and highways in November.
For more information, contact Theresa Hallquist at the Office of Research and Registration, DOT, FMCSA, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, D.C., 20590-0001.
Phone: 202-366-1064.
E-mail: [email protected].
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
We’re do you apply for the atomnomous drivers position
The unemployment line.
Interested. Would like more information. 44yrs experience in the commercial trucking industry. Thanks for your time.
so they want you to hire on so that they can put you on the unemployment line. Really
Right! what I thought exactly!
exactly 💯 is like this and they run to help them
I’m the one that needs help
Those stupid and annoying distance monitoring beeps are driving me nuts! Rush hour traffic, cars cutting in front of you then slamming on their breaks, first the distance warning comes on, then the truck locks up the breaks throws forward. I can’t wait to see how this works on Vail pass. The damn things are dangerous.
Ted- That is EXACTLY what I have been saying since they came out with them! They are not perfected and should not be in these trucks yet. They are dangerous!- taking control of the 18-wheeler away from the driver without FULL situtational awareness and actually almost causing wrecks by itself. And then the driver will somehow be blamed. Many experiences with false readings and brakes being locked up from people hitting their brakes while exciting on curves etc.
So then where do we apply for that driver autonomous research ?
if you hate your job quit look for something else go to a warehouse and work you slave wage with some supervisor on your neck and kiss him in order he can gave you hours to at least meet your minimum wage.
this should be illegal I don’t want Autonomous trucks near me not in my lifetime and plus why is all this hurry to get rid of truck drivers FMCSA needs to put safety first but they don’t do their job I don’t know why we are letting this people stay in their jobs positions when they are the treat for our safety in our highways for god’s sake a computer will never fix problem like a human does.
say no to autonomous trucks, trucking is the only way out nowdays you travel all this beautiful country and you earn mas money to do so, why FMCSA wants to do this is a treat for the US Economy… no one can go to college, no one wants to be in a office be labor worker, work in a warehouse nobody wants that.
can’t believe any trucker would sign up to help them put us out of work. sad.
what I can’t believe is that you guys don’t realize it’s coming, like it or not. I don’t like it, but they’re gonna do whatever they want (the freight industry) they always have and will there’s a bunch of auto trucks on TX highways and has been for some time.
it’s time to start making a backup plan drivers. however, they are always going to need a real person to fix their machines when they break down, and they will constantly break down. I don’t think that this fad is going to take hold, but time will tell.
what I can’t believe is that you guys don’t realize it’s coming, like it or not. I don’t like it, but they’re gonna do whatever they want (the freight industry) they always have and will there’s a bunch of auto trucks on TX highways and has been for some time.
it’s time to start making a backup plan drivers. however, they are always going to need a real person to fix their machines when they break down, and they will constantly break down. I don’t think that this fad is going to take hold, but time will tell.