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Platooning in pole position

To gather vital data on platooning, Scania and its partner, Finnish operator Ahola Transport, recently headed way north for trials 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle.

“Norwegian winter roads are a perfect testing ground for us, simply because driving is so much more challenging than on more southerly European roads,” says Project Manager Christian Bergstrand, Scania. “This is particularly demanding for platooning technology.”

Scania and Ahola earlier this spring agreed to jointly develop semi-autonomous truck platooning with three or more connected trucks on public roads. The partnership will also focus on developing other new transport technologies related to driver assistance.

“The test in Norway marks the start of a series of Scania and Ahola trials,” says Bergstrand. “With three trucks now fully equipped for platooning, Ahola will evaluate how they fit into their operations. This will give valuable experience in the further development of platooning.”

Among the factors to be examined are driver acceptance, transport logistics planning as well as the benefits of platooning.

In the platooning trials in Norway, the convoy of trucks transferred real-time information to a control centre tasked with of coordinating vehicles and tasks.

“The benefits of platooning encompass far more than technology,” says Development Director Mika Sorvisto, Ahola. “Good coordination is necessary for forming a platoon with the right number of vehicles driving on the same road section at the same time.”