It is reported that the United States Postal Service (USDP) has started tests with self﹣driving trucks to transport mail. The Postal Services is partnering with a California﹣based company, called TuSimple, on the project. The tests are being carried out over two weeks.
Two of TuSimple's self﹣driving trucks will transport mail between the southwestern cities of Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas. The trucks will make five round trips between the cities. Each one will cover a distance of about 3,300 kilometers.
The testing is aimed at seeing whether the self﹣driving technology can reduce transportation times and costs and improve road safety. If successful, the Postal Service could use the trucks to move mail between major U. S. population centers forever.
TuSimple said a human "safety driver" will be sitting in the driver's seat at all times during the trips to intervene if necessary. An engineer will ride in the passenger seat as a watcher to take notes. The trucks will travel on major interstate roads that pass through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
TuSimple noted on its website the trucks are equipped with a camera system that sees about 1,000 meters down the road. It said this provides 35 seconds of reaction (反应) time, giving the system enough time to make the safest driving decisions.
One of the main goals of the technology is to remove the need for truck drivers. Transportation experts say now the United States is facing a shortage of truck drivers. This will result from an aging workforce(劳动力) and the difficulty of getting younger people to work as truck drivers.
Self﹣driving trucks built to transport things have some advantages over driverless cars. They generally run on interstate roads that do not have the complex (复杂的) traffic systems found in cities. This will reduce mapping requirements for the trucks and lower safety risks including people walking on streets or riding bicycles.
