Four informative presentations were delivered by four speakers. Each shared their latest research results that may have taken place in the United States, Europe, and Japan and they provided the latest in the ongoing process to deploy truck platooning. They discussed the headway (no pun intended) that has been made to date and mentioned some issues that are still under investigation. During the discussant phase of the session, an expert panel provided their insights to several questions:

Do you think there should be a national or international testing criteria for 'certified safe for platooning' or do you think testing criteria should be regional? Why?
The panel felt that there is a difference between certification and standardization. While standards provide great benefit, not all regions or countries will have the same operating conditions - heat/snow and ice, low traffic/high traffic, flat/mountains, rural/urban… They also felt not all platooning operations are appropriate in some conditions. Mountains and urban conditions are just two examples or where truck platooning operations could be suspended.

Cybersecurity breaches - should they result in all truck platooning operations coming to a cease until the breach is eliminated? What is the alternative?
The panel felt that any cybersecurity breaches be researched and changes (discontinued service) made to those platooning systems that experienced the breach - not ALL platooning systems should be stopped if only one type of system has been breached.

What do you think will lead to public acceptance of connected and automated vehicles and truck platooning?
It was a general consensus that public education on what truck platooning is (and what it is not) will be in order.

We look forward to next year where we will again learn of the latest advancements in the world of truck platooning.