How 5G Technology Intersects with the Trucking Industry
5G will open the floodgates for a number of revolutionary applications in the transport industry that have been impossible under the current standards of connectivity. For better or worse, the impact will be huge, redefining the transport landscape as we know it. Over the coming decades, we’ll see a transformation akin to the Android and iPhone revolution, which gave rise to an unprecedented wave of collaboration and innovation across various industries.
5G comes with the potential to streamline global navigation systems, amp up freight tracking efficiency, and facilitate seamless inventory management. 5G will supercharge the exchange of information between vehicles, products, and people, digitally transforming fleet management.
What Aspect of 5G will Benefit the Trucking Industry the Most?
Capacity of 5G
With its phenomenal capacity, 5G has the potential to bolster control and tracking systems for freight management. The industry could see up to 100 fold increases in the efficiency of the current management systems. This will significantly enhance the efficiency of various departments of trucking companies, with vertical and horizontal flow of information happening seamlessly.
Data Speed of 5G
The high data speeds will be the main driving force behind the transformation of autonomous vehicle. With 5G, millions of drivers, customers, and off-the-road servicemen will be in an instantaneous communication loop. It will have a tremendous impact on responsiveness across all ends of the value chain, helping prevent delays and hiccups that mar efficiency.
Latency Rates
Another vital aspect of 5G technology that will have a tremendous impact on the trucking industry is the latency rates, which refers to the delay between the moment when a query is sent and when the requested data is received on a smart device. While the previous generation has latency rates of over 50 milliseconds over the air, 5G outperforms it by a large margin, boasting over-the-air latency rates below 10 milliseconds.
With such
remarkably low latency, freight tracking and monitoring will be near
instantaneous, and customers will get up-to-the-minute freight booking and
monitoring information.
This impact
will be felt mostly in areas of trucking like vehicle-to-vehicle communication,
safety and collision avoidance, as well as many more areas.
Aspects of the Trucking
Industry that will be Most Influenced by 5G
Caption; 5G will power several functionalities that enable safe, autonomous driving
Collision Avoidance
By powering
highly reliable sensors that send out warning signals about possible
collisions, 5G will significantly reduce the accident and collision rates. With
its low-latency and blazing speed, drivers will get real-time alerts from
collision sensors and have more time to respond and avoid crashes. The
5G-powered collision avoidance system is akin to an anti-lock braking system
deployed on a massive scale across the industry.
Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V)
Interactions
By allowing
vehicles to bypass network repositories when exchanging information, 5G will
significantly curtail congestion and delays in V2V interactions. With 5G,
drivers of a fleet will be able to exchange real-time information with each
other concerning traffic conditions, weather conditions, and other road-related
data. This can significantly enhance the safety and timeliness of truck delivery
services.
For autonomous trucks, improved V2V communications can lead to the enhancement of functionalities like intersection movement assistance, collision warnings, blind spot warnings, do-not-pass warnings, emergency air brake, lights and many more.
Overall, studies show that improved V2V interaction can minimize the danger of up to 80% of non-alcohol-related accidents.
Vehicle to Infrastructure
(V2I) Interactions
This is
similar to the effects described in the V2V aspect, but here, the enhanced
interaction is between vehicles and infrastructure such as street cameras,
traffic lights, GPS and satellite navigation systems, and other city features.
And unlike in the previous connectivity eras, various elements and devices in a
connectivity network will be managed under one unified system rather than
fragmented ones, creating an interwoven resource of information that can
improve and streamline trucking services.
5G transforming Trucking Industry
5G is poised
to make an impressive entry into the trucking industry, supercharging
interactions between vehicles and infrastructure by creating an information
ecosystem, and increasing the efficiency and safety of freight fleets. Most
fleet managers are positive about the prospects that 5G has in store for the
industry, and the real world benefits will soon be seen as the trucking
industry increasingly adopts an innovative technological approach.