Assessing the performance in automated loading and unloading of autonomous trucks and the implications for the logistics system

Paper in proceeding, 2024

The logistics industry is changing due to the introduction of autonomous trucks (ATs). Although there are many promising benefits associated with ATs, there is a limited exploration into automating the loading and unloading (L/UL) process that was performed manually. However, for autonomous transport to be fully realized, the L/UL processes at shipping and receiving facilities must also be automated. Despite automation being a solution to address the challenges, the broader impacts of automating L/UL are not well explored. This study assesses the effects of automating L/UL with AT on a broader system level using context-intervention-mechanism-outcome logic (CIMO).