Automating Loading and Unloading for Autonomous Transport: Identifying Challenges and Requirements with a Systems Approach

Paper in proceeding, 2023

The logistics industry has undergone significant changes due to high demand, competition, cost pressures, interruptions, and labor market limitations affecting supply chains. As a result, there has been a significant adoption of automation in internal logistics such as warehousing, stock control, and material handling, leading to increased organizational competitiveness by reducing manual labor costs and time spent on these operations. The use of autonomous road transport holds potential to improve transport performance within areas of safety, sustainability, and efficiency. However, for autonomous transport to be fully ealized, loading and unloading processes at shipping and receiving facilities must also be automated. This paper takes a systems approach to identify the challenges and requirements for automated loading and unloading in a setting of autonomous truck transport potentially within a production setting. By addressing these challenges and meeting the necessary requirements, it may be possible to fully realize the benefits of autonomous transport and improve overall transport performance.