Peloton Completes 1,000-mile Platooning Demo in Florida

In a unique demonstration recently, Peloton Technology notched 1,000 miles in two Peloton-equipped Volvo VNL670 Class 8 trucks during the State of Florida’s Driver-Assistive Truck Platooning Pilot Project.

The event took placed in collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Peloton’s driver-assistive system enables two individual drivers to form a two-truck platoon under highway conditions. Of note, in contrast to automated vehicles, Peloton’s system requires drivers of each truck to be in full control of steering and remain actively engaged in driving. The system links the active safety systems of Class 8 trucks, enabling pairs of trucks to coordinate their speeds and maintain a safe, aerodynamic following distance.

For drivers, the system is similar to Adaptive Cruise Control, which is in use today in hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks. In normal operations today, trucks have been found to travel at relatively close following distances, with one USDOT study showing an average following distance of 170 feet.

Now get this: These two trucks traveled at distance of approximately 65 feet apart, with pro drivers in full command of each truck at all times.

The goal was to showcase the benefits of connected safety systems and enhanced driver-to-driver communication while achieving significant aerodynamic fuel savings.

To date, nine states in the U.S. have confirmed allowance for commercial deployment of driver- assistive truck platooning. These are Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

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