Semis With Automation Technology Are Now on the Road in Indiana

I used to think I'd be intimidated by technology once it was clear that innovations were going to begin coming at us quickly. But after actually TEACHING myself how to work with most of it, those fears were gone.

Self-Driving Vehicles

That doesn't mean I haven't greeted some of it with a certain amount of skepticism. Sure, I've come around to accepting all of it, but there are some things (one in particular) that still get the side-eye.

This brings me to the experts who, for the past five years or so, have been perfecting the "sci-fi" technology we've seen in Knight Rider, Total Recall, and I, Robot. (And let's not forget Herbie and Christine.) So who IS ready to take the concept of self-driving vehicles "out for a spin." And yes, it's evolved into far more than just a concept.

Automation Technology

With the first discussions of vehicular automation technology, many of our initial thoughts were those of safety. In other words, no I wouldn't be comfortable napping on my way to work while "KITT" takes over.

Self-Driving Trucks in Indiana

But hey, perfect all that, and you'll have me as a fan. I can see, and have always seen, really, how the trucking industry would benefit from such breakthroughs, and now, if you've been traveling Interstate 70 in Indiana of late, you may have been side by side with an 18-wheeler employing automation technology.

Before you start wondering if that Kroger truck or THAT Walmart truck or that Dollar General semi over there are being "ghost-driven," think again. There are two vehicles delivering for EASE Logistics, a self-described "multi-operational supply chain and transportation solution," and they've been carrying shipments between Indianapolis and Columbus. It makes sense that, here at the ground level, it's an innovation company leading the charge.

Now we wait and see when the automation tech ball really WILL be in Kroger's, Walmart's, and Dollar General's court.