Autonomous driving: a growing trend bringing new innovations to industrial working

The profile of autonomous driving has grown steadily over recent years as industries such as construction, mining and farming look for new ways to tackle inefficiencies and changing labour and work environments. 

After decades of small incremental changes in processes and machinery, companies are gearing up for big innovative shifts that will change the way industries operate. By using autonomous vehicles, companies can complete projects and tasks more quickly, safely and cost-efficiently while also allowing humans to focus on skilled tasks. Though autonomous driving is still in its early stages, several industries are looking to make it a bigger part of how they operate.  

Here's a look at how and why the industry is changing and how continued innovation and collaboration will be key in normalising autonomous driving in construction, mining, farming and more.  

We know that autonomous vehicles are a rapidly growing trend and are an area of investment in industries such as construction, mining and farming.  What some may not realise is that autonomous driving has been developed and tested over decades — and we know that it works.

Since the 1990s, Caterpillar has been an autonomous vehicle innovation leader in the mining industry. It now has the world’s largest autonomous fleet with over 500 HGVs currently in operation. At year-end 2021, customers using their technology had safely hauled over 4 billion tonnes and travelled over 145 million kilometres (90 million miles) autonomously. As more data emerges about the advantages of autonomous driving, companies like Caterpillar are looking to scale their products to be used in other industries. 

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers believes we are only a few short years away from noticing real changes in electrification and automation in large industrial vehicles. It estimates that in 10–15 years, more than 80% of heavy equipment machinery will have electric powertrains and autonomous operation systems.

Of all industries that can benefit from autonomous vehicles, experts believe that it's the construction industry that will change the most in coming years. This is mostly due to the controlled nature of construction, making it a prime candidate for autonomous driving. It's also an industry that is still using the same techniques and processes it has for decades, with fewer technological innovations than other areas. With many projects running over budget and over time, companies are starting to invest in autonomous vehicle technology to help.  

The move towards autonomous driving is happening for a variety of wide-ranging reasons. Autonomous vehicles improve health and safety on-site by doing riskier tasks that were previously done by humans. As these vehicles are programmable, their use results in more predictable project planning and outcomes and reduces project timescales. They also allow humans to focus on skilled work rather than repetitive tasks. All these factors lead to an overall cost reduction and safer workplaces, which are obvious big wins for companies. 

Autonomous driving also addresses the issue of labour shortages. Not being able to recruit enough people to fill construction jobs was a major concern for most construction firms even before the pandemic. Prior to 2020, firms were already finding it difficult to fill salaried and hourly positions and Covid has only exacerbated the problem. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that there were over 334,000 construction job openings in June 2022, representing 4.2% of available construction jobs. In the mining and logging industry, that number is 34,000 job openings, or 5.2% of jobs in that sector. The effects of labour shortages are seen across multiple industries, including farming and its supply chains — so it's logical that autonomous equipment is seen as one solution to address this problem.  

Autonomous vehicle innovations rely on cross-industry collaboration—including OEMs, tech and insurance companies, regulators and everyone else across the supply chain—to bring together new and existing products and technologies. Without the collaboration or commitment from any one industry, autonomous driving may remain something only accessible to the biggest corporations.

At Henkel, we know that we have a part to play in this transformation as well. Over the years we've created a portfolio of thermal management materials to meet the demands of modern electronic devices — helping ensure long product lifecycles and reliability. Every innovation and improvement along the supply chain makes the shift towards autonomous driving safer, more efficient, more sustainable and, overall, more beneficial in meeting the needs of today.