Researchers at Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) recently debuted a project that has been in the works for more than a decade. The freight shuttle system (FSS) is a full-scale, driverless automated freight transportation system designed to help alleviate congestion in ports and border crossings.
The system is not designed to replace or threaten the trucking industry, but to assist the trucking industry and shippers. It will use electric-powered transporters to carry trailers and containers on elevated highways, keeping air cleaner and roads safer, according to The Texas Tribune.
“The specific purpose is to take trucks off the road in highly congested, high-volume locations…. This system is designed to assist the trucking industry and assist shippers in overcoming those points of congestion,” Stephen Roop, chairman and president of Freight Shuttle International and assistant agency director of TTI, told The Eagle.
Roop said the motors that would power the FSS would cost about 10 cents per mile in electricity.
He said the transportation system can eliminate driver costs and reduce energy cost.
“You create a very large margin for this system relative to trucks or rail transportation,” Roop said.
The freight system also has environmental benefits, which help reduce emissions.
The Port of Houston recently signed a commercial agreement to explore feasibility and implementation of the projects.
“It’s a tangible, working prototype and it’s definitely piqued our interest,” Port of Houston Authority Executive Director Roger Guenther said during the unveiling of the project. “The potential of the freight shuttle provides a means to complement the existing road and rail infrastructure system and contribute to economic growth and creation of jobs. That’s very exciting for us.”
The freight system could also help address security concerns related to smuggling and the movement of contraband at the border. It would make cargo easier to inspect and remove them from general traffic.
Gov. Greg Abbott attended the unveiling of the prototype and debuted the idea along with other Texas A&M and Freight Shuttle International officials.
“For more than a decade, Texas has been the number one exporting state in America, and freight movement is vitally important in our state’s economy,” Abbott said. “FSS can bring millions of dollars into Texas economy and open the door to millions of dollars of private investments. More than just a tool for expediting freight from ports, it’s a vision for ways in which we can relieve congestion across the entire state.”