Call for Position Papers Extended for NSF-funded Workshop on Autonomous Trucking and the U.S. Economy

Call for Participation extended to May 11, 2018. Stipend also increased, participants will be offered a stipend to offset travel and lodging expenses, (e.g., $700-$1,000). This workshop will identify the most critical unanswered questions as well as potential solutions related to the effects autonomous trucks will have on the U.S. economy and, more specifically, how autonomous trucks will affect the current and future truck workforce. See workshop website for detail on how to submit a Position Statement (https://www.vtti.vt.edu/atw/).Please send your Positions Statement (as a PDF attachment) via email to Jeff Hickman (jhickman@vtti.vt.edu). Please include "Convergence HTF Autonomous Trucks Workshop: Position Statement" in the Subject: line. For more information contact Jeff Hickman (jhickman@vtti.vt.edu).

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is leading a workshop that aims to bring together a diverse group of participants engaged in Human-Technology Frontier (HTF) projects to share their experiences on to the Effect of Autonomous Trucks on the U.S. Economy. This workshop will identify the most critical unanswered questions as well as potential solutions related to the effects autonomous trucks will have on the U.S. economy and, more specifically, how autonomous trucks will affect the current and future truck workforce.

Attendees will include a combination of invited participants and a diverse range of academics and stakeholders who will be selected based upon Position Statements (described below). Some selected participants will be offered a stipend to offset travel and lodging expenses; however, this will be minimal. Attendees should propose their Position Statement with the intention there will be no travel support. Position Statements with multiple authors are welcome, especially those representing a multidisciplinary, collaborative team, but the number of invited participants and travel support may be limited based on space and available funds.

Participants will be drawn primarily from the following disciplines engineers, computer scientists, regulators, truck drivers, truck management, economists, educators, lawyers, insurers, psychologists, and sociologists. Those who have unique perspectives on the unanswered questions or data needed to support future models are encouraged to submit a Position Statement, including engineering challenges in developing automated trucks and associated infrastructure; licensure and regulations; liability, privacy, and cyber security; education and training; and economics.