The Problem. . . .

Supply chain sclerosis, driver shortages and roadway congestion threaten to bedevil U.S. freight movement indefinitely. The first two of these problems have been well-reported, the third not so much.
But projections of over 50% more long haul truck traffic by 2045, as compared to 2015, and 30% more freight volume by 2031 as compared to 2019, suggest we should expect exponentially increased highway congestion in coming years, with no solution to this problem in sight.
Likewise missing are proposed solutions to the driver shortage and supply chain problems.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles of intercity railroad trackage lies dormant much of the time.
Envisioning the movement of significant parts of the load on one intercity transportation network, i.e. the highway system, to the other major intercity transportation network, i.e. the nation’s railway trackage, may be a bold dream, but the alternative may be the mother of all transportation nightmares.

. . . .and The Solution

AUTORRs (Autonomously drivable Road/Rail vehicles): With the collective commitment of the trucking and railroad industries, as well as that of the shippers who stand most to benefit from the inherent efficiency of the integrated system, development of AUTORRs, well within the scope of presently available technologies, are easily envisioned.
While commercial success cannot be guaranteed, AUTORRs may be the best long-range solution to the prospective continuing, and possibly much larger, problems of highway congestion, driver shortages and supply chain hang-ups. And large-scale retailers may be the most likely motivators for prototypical development and evaluation of AUTORR concepts. It remains for such large-scale retailers to realize the value of this approach to them and to the transportation industry generally. From railroads’ standpoint, AUTORRs, with system traffic controlled by artificial intelligence, may also lessen railroad marshalling yard congestion and greatly simplify truck-rail intermodal freight transportation.
Railroads, the trucking industry, highway infrastructure and shippers, particularly including major retailers, all stand to benefit, both individually and collectively, by the systemic integration of the two major domestic shipping modes made possible by AUTORRs. It remains for transportation industry researchers, planners, and users to seize upon this possibly transformative development.

Supply chain sclerosis, driver shortages and roadway congestion threaten to bedevil U.S. freight movement indefinitely. The first two of these problems have been well-reported, the third not so much.
But projections of over 50% more long haul truck traffic by 2045, as compared to 2015, and 30% more freight volume by 2031 as compared to 2019, suggest we should expect exponentially increased highway congestion in coming years, with no solution to this problem in sight.
Likewise missing are proposed solutions to the driver shortage and supply chain problems.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles of intercity railroad trackage lies dormant much of the time.
Envisioning the movement of significant parts of the load on one intercity transportation network, i.e. the highway system, to the other major intercity transportation network, i.e. the nation’s railway trackage, may be a bold dream, but the alternative may be the mother of all transportation nightmares.

AUTORRs (Autonomously drivable Road/Rail vehicles): With the collective commitment of the trucking and railroad industries, as well as that of the shippers who stand most to benefit from the inherent efficiency of the integrated system, development of AUTORRs, well within the scope of presently available technologies, are easily envisioned.
While commercial success cannot be guaranteed, AUTORRs may be the best long-range solution to the prospective continuing, and possibly much larger, problems of highway congestion, driver shortages and supply chain hang-ups. And large-scale retailers may be the most likely motivators for prototypical development and evaluation of AUTORR concepts. It remains for such large-scale retailers to realize the value of this approach to them and to the transportation industry generally. From railroads’ standpoint, AUTORRs may also lessen railroad marshalling yard congestion and greatly simplify truck-rail intermodal freight transportation.
Railroads, the trucking industry, highway infrastructure and shippers, particularly including major retailers, all stand to benefit, both individually and collectively, by the systemic integration of the two major domestic shipping modes made possible by AUTORRs. It remains for transportation industry researchers, planners, and users to seize upon this possibly transformative development.