PIT Group participating in truck platooning research

by Truck News

MONTREAL, Que. – PIT Group announced recently that it is participating in Transport Canada’s Cooperative Truck Platooning Systems (CTPS) testing program.

The test began July 24 and ends August 18 at the Motor Vehicle Test Centre in Blainville, Quebec.

The testing program is led by a joint effort by Transport Canada,  National Research Council, Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (University of California at Berkeley); the U.S. Department of Energy; the U.S. Federal Highway Administration; the California Department of Transportation, and Volvo Trucks.

PIT Group was chosen to participate because of its testing expertise and  will manage track operations and provide trailers, drivers, test engineers and scientific equipment, in addition to conducting fuel consumption measurements using the TMC Fuel Consumption Test Procedure in a ISO 17 025 context.

In 2016, the same team successfully conducted Fuel Economy Testing of a Three-Vehicle Truck Platooning System. This year, the group is focusing on the real world performance and reliability of CTPS using a range of tractor-trailer configurations, speeds, separation distances and weights in various traffic conditions.

Through reductions in aerodynamic drag and vehicle spacing, CTPS offers the potential to improve fuel economy, emissions, traffic flow, and road capacity by employing wireless communications and automation to create a convoy or “platoon” of multiple trucks following in close succession. The technologies employed by CTPS also have potential benefits for drivers and for increasing road safety.

“Platooning is an important step towards autonomous vehicles and to realizing the potential to reduce fuel consumption, eliminate highway congestion and improve safety,” said Yves Provencher, director, market and business development of PIT Group. “This year’s testing program will provide a valuable understanding of the real savings potential of platooning. We are pleased to contribute our ten years of testing expertise to assist in this valuable industry research effort.”


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  • That’s great but OPP have a plane flying up and down the 401 that keeps 6 cruisers busy writing tickets for Class 8 trucks following too closely and that includes following other trucks. 60m/195ft separation to be legal.

    How do they propose to keep platooning from being a mountain of tickets?