Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars, are creating a high-pitched buzz recently. Many leading car manufacturing companies and startups have made strong statements about launching AVs with unique features and innovative technologies in the near future.
In fact, the AV research market is already witnessing fierce competition among car manufacturing companies, and car shipping companies must also follow the trend to formulate an adequate response proactively.
This article travels back in time to the beginnings of the automobile industry, highlights the introduction of self-driving cars to the market, and explains how car shipping companies are keeping up with these changes.
The Automobile Industry Between the Past and Present
The car manufacturing industry traces its origins to the late 1800s. The inventor Karl Benz introduced the first real internal combustion-powered automobile.
This invention was followed by the introduction of assembly line production techniques in the early 20th century by Henry Ford. This revolutionizing movement paved the way for the mass production of vehicles.
The automobile industry continued to evolve and bring innovations to the market from that point until now. Car manufacturers started to improve and add new features that optimized vehicles’ power, speed, efficiency, and, most importantly, security.
Introducing Self-Driving Cars
Developing self-driving cars was primarily inspired by science fiction and films a century ago. However, research institutions and academic organizations started exploring the possibilities of autonomous driving in the 1980s and 1990s.
The journey of developing and introducing autonomous vehicles is lengthy and poses many considerations and challenges. First, the complexity of the real world is among the top challenges autonomous vehicle manufacturers face. Creating intelligent systems that effectively respond to numerous changes in driving environments and conditions proved complicated.
Moreover, the public perception of these vehicles as safe to replace traditional ones is also going to be challenging since many have concerns about the reliability of AVs and their potential to execute orders securely.
On the other hand, companies are hugely investing in manufacturing efficient and competent AVs to be launched soon and developing practical solutions to overcome the posed challenges. Launching self-driving cars will provide a range of advantages, most notably reducing accidents and traffic congestion.
Autonomous Vehicles and Car Shipping
The automobile industry is rapidly evolving, requiring car shipping companies to devise effective strategies. With the emergence of electric vehicles and the forthcoming autonomous ones, car shipping companies have started finding solutions that will help them respond to a new era of car shipping.
Responding to Changes in the Automobile Industry
It is expected that when autonomous vehicles overtake the roads, this change will significantly impact the car shipping market. However, many efficient shipping solutions have been proposed for car shippers to respond to new shipping needs adequately. These solutions include:
- Developing carriers specialized to transport autonomous vehicles is one of the proposed solutions to handle shipping AVs effectively. These carriers will be optimized to meet AV hauling requirements, providing innovative systems to load, secure, and unload AVs safely and appropriately. These carriers can also be autonomous and operate without needing human drivers.
- Car shipping companies can adapt their services to meet autonomous vehicle shipping requirements by partnering with self-driving car companies. The partnership aims at developing new shipping services after learning from manufacturers about the unique needs of self-driving cars.
- Integrating technological innovations in the car shipping processes is useful solution to enhance the efficiency in responding to clients’ needs. Shipping carriers can be improved to cater to autonomous vehicle shipping requirements, like integrating charging infrastructure, refining storage containers, and providing optimal conditions for vehicles during shipping that will maintain their pristine shape.
- Finally, training staff on the latest technological advancements in the car shipping industry becomes crucial. Car shipping companies need to invest in their staff much like they do with new equipment and technologies for a life-long work operation. Car shipping staff must undergo training in the specialized processes of loading and unloading, among many essential practices.
Tempus Logix is an experienced and professional car shipping company that sells all vehicle types nationwide at competitive prices. The company has a keen interest in technology and aims to integrate intelligent solutions into its work processes to maximize service efficiency. It has previously invested in a cutting-edge AI-based calculator for clients to instantly know how much to ship a car.
In Conclusion
There are no limits to the technologies and enhancements in the automobile industry. Vehicles will continue to have more novel and advanced features with every upgrade. Car shipping companies must find practical ways to adapt to the new changes and be ready to respond to different forms of vehicle shipping orders.