Las Vegas, home of legalized gambling, statuesque showgirls and glamorous hotels, is now the first place in the U.S. that autonomous commercial trucks will be allowed to operate on an open public highway. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval officially issued the first license for an autonomous commercial truck to Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) at a ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on May 5.

DTNA president and CEO Martin Daum hosted the event, during which Gov. Sandoval participated in the inaugural trip of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck in autonomous mode with Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG Daimler Trucks & Buses, at the controls.

The Freightliner Inspiration Truck underwent extensive testing before the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles granted it a license to operate on public roads in the state. “Nevada is proud to be making transportation history today by hosting the first U.S. public highway drive for a licensed autonomous commercial truck. The application of this innovative technology to one of America’s most important industries will have a lasting impact on our state and help shape the New Nevada economy,” said Gov. Sandoval. “The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has been closely monitoring the advancements being made in autonomous vehicle development and reviewed DTNA’s safety, testing and training plans before granting permission for this demonstration of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck.”

Gov. Sandoval attached a Nevada license plate to the truck during the ceremony, which was part of a gathering of international journalists and trucking industry analysts that DTNA is hosting to showcase developments in autonomous commercial truck technology.

(Photo: Shutterstock/kosmos111)

Technology expected to reduce accidents

“The autonomous vehicle technology we are showcasing in the Freightliner Inspiration Truck will help reduce accidents, improve fuel consumption, cut highway congestion, and safeguard the environment,” said Bernhard. “Daimler Trucks North America is committed to developing the latest technology to meet our customers’ needs and delivering the best commercial trucks in the world. We are proud to get this vehicle on the road here today.”

“The driver is a key part of a collaborative vehicle system,” said Richard Howard, senior vice president for sales and marketing, DTNA. “With the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, drivers can optimize their time on the road while also handling other important logistical tasks, from scheduling to routing. The autonomous vehicle technology not only contributes to improved safety and efficiency, but allows for improved communication through connectivity and integration.”

The truck is equipped with the Highway Pilot sensors, and computer hardware is based on a series production Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, fully certified to meet all U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The Highway Pilot links together a sophisticated set of camera technology and radar systems with lane stability, collision avoidance, speed control, braking, steering and other monitoring systems. This combination creates a Level 3 autonomous vehicle operating system that can perform safely under a range of highway driving conditions. In total, two trucks with this equipment exist.

Operating on highways at what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines as Level 3 capabilities, the truck enables the driver to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions. The autonomous vehicle system is responsible for maintaining legal speed, staying in the selected lane, keeping a safe braking distance from other vehicles, and slowing or stopping the vehicle based on traffic and road conditions. The vehicle monitors changes in conditions that require transition back to driver control when necessary in highway settings. The driver is in control of the vehicle for exiting the highway, on local roads and in docking for making deliveries.

Autonomous-Truck-Getting-Nev-License-Plate-PRNewsFoto-Daimler Trucks North America LLC

(PRNewsFoto/Daimler Trucks North America LLC)

“The Freightliner SuperTruck, unveiled at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show, shattered the goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks by achieving an incredible 115% ton-miles per gallon freight efficiency improvement,” said Diane Hames, general manager, sales and marketing, DTNA. “We want to always have the best truck on the road, so we will never stop investing in our customers through the product we put on the road.”

Nevada laws already in place

Why start with Nevada? It was selected as the demonstration location because it’s one of four states, plus the District of Columbia, with laws regulating autonomous vehicle operation. For example, Nevada legislation passed in 2011 and 2013 regulates the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles. The laws include commercial trucks and set standards specifying the number of miles an autonomous vehicle must have been tested in certain conditions before it can be granted a license to be driven in Nevada. Daimler obtained a special permit from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to operate the Freightliner Inspiration Truck on public roads near Las Vegas after supplying state officials with detailed information on the safety systems in the truck and the training program for the drivers.

“Freightliner Trucks has been setting the standard for commercial vehicle design and technology for nearly 75 years,” said Bernhard. “We selected Nevada to unveil the Freightliner Inspiration Truck because it is one of only four states that require special licensing. Our goal was to not only showcase what is technologically possible, but to do it in a regulated environment with safety standards and other oversight requirements.”

Effect on insurance?

Insurance companies have begun to factor technology into their ratings and pricing for personal vehicles, but it remains to be seen how insurance for connected commercial trucks will be rated. It may depend on where the trucks are licensed and how they are used, as well as the history of the driver and the company--the same factors that affect all underwriting.

What do you think about autonomous commercial trucks? Would you feel more or less comfortable sharing the highway with such vehicles? Let us know in the comment section.

Special Reports /

Taking a gamble, Nevada licenses first autonomous commercial truck in the U.S.

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