PLANTATION, FL – Moving self-driving vehicles – already common on warehouse floors – onto public roads is “the next evolutionary step,” according to DHL.

The logistics company has published a new trend report ‘Self-Driving Vehicles in Logistics,’ highlighting the key elements and significant potential of autonomous technologies in the logistics industry.

“Some warehouse operations have been using self-driving vehicles to some extent for years, but making driving in logistics more and more autonomous will change the logistics sector dramatically,” said Dr. Markus Kückelhaus, director of DHL Trend Research. “Moving onto public roads is the next evolutionary step. With its history in deploying self-driving solutions in controlled environments, the logistics industry is in a prime position to further shape the future of self-driving vehicles.”

He suggests that DHL, with its partners and customers, can take a leading role on this path.

As a first step in the self-driving journey, the trend report contains various best-practice applications from different industries and also examines concrete use cases of self-driving vehicles across the entire logistics value chain.

The report anticipates:

  * enhancements to existing driver-assistance functions;

  * then the introduction of autonomous driving in specific situations such as on congested highways;

  * and ultimately fully autonomous truck convoys on highways, 24/7.

“There is no doubt that autonomous driving will change the world of logistics,” said Matthias Heutger, senior vice president of strategy, marketing and development, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. “DHL is already applying many solutions for autonomous logistics in warehouse operations and we see ourselves in a prime position to further drive the trend of self-driving vehicles in our industry.”

The ‘Self-Driving Vehicles in Logistics’ trend report is the latest in a series of reports developed by DHL Trend Research. It is available for download.