The leader of the UK's platooning truck trial is to speak at the Microlise Transport Conference, and update the industry on the trial's progress.
The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) was given the project by Highways England and the DfT last year, and will be represented by its CEO Rob Wallis at the event next month.
Wallis said that the project, which it is working on with partners including DAF and DHL, has made an "excellent start".
The trial was announced last August after the government committed £8.1m to the project.
During his talk at the conference at the Ricoh Arena, Wallis will tell delegates about the project's overview and safety framework. “The aim of the trial is to provide an independent impact assessment and to quantify possible benefits and disbenefits,” Wallis said.
“Having succeeded with our consortium partners to secure government backing, and having already made an excellent start, we will be in a position to share progress so far at the Microlise Transport Conference in May.”
Innovation is the theme of the Microlise Transport Conference this year, and Microlise executive director Bob Harbey said that the platooning trial is at the heart of innovation in the sector, especially because it sits so keenly in the public eye.
“Innovation is a fundamental element of the Microlise Transport Conference,” Harbey said. “HGV Platooning has captured newspaper headlines, and the imagination of the general public, for being very innovative.
"We want to get to the heart of the topic and understand what the potential benefits, and possible downsides, might be for our industry and more broadly, for the world. It’s great to have TRL join our exciting agenda to give a behind the scenes glimpse of the platooning trials.”
Booking is still open for the Microlise Transport Conference, which takes place at Coventry's Ricoh Arena on 16 May. Book your free place today to see TRL's platooning truck trial update as well as talks from Royal Mail, Innovate UK and electric truck manufacturer Arrival.
