In the case of the transportation sector, the advances in technology have changed the way we see, drive and look after vehicles. In recent years there have been big steps forward such as the introduction of electrification, autonomy and alternative fuels. But, further back in time, it was the the onset of more and more electronics and sophisticated braking, steering and safety systems that moved the truck game on.
Yet a vehicle is only as good as the people – or person – responsible for it. Daily walkaround checks are important, but the real work involves investigating, in detail, all the major and moving parts at regular intervals. A recent Logistics UK survey suggested that 54% of its members ‘faced significant challenges’ when trying to find technicians and mechanics. This example is part of a wider – and well-known – problem that requires the level of scrutiny that an artic is subjected to during a major service.
The cover story for this issue looks into the future and the possibility of a time where drivers are obsolete and a very different approach to fleet management will be required. But this doesn’t solve the skills shortage problem. Until AI and robotics work together seamlessly, the vehicles themselves will still need to be looked after by humans. And not just any humans: vehicle maintenance relies on highly skilled and trained technicians who not only understand the mechanics and electronics involved, but who also have the skills to solve the problems.
Many approaches have been suggested, including piquing the interest of primary school children. That is just one of the ideas discussed in our apprenticeships article, on p16. Promoting examples of skilled technicians is another way to get people interested – and plenty of these can be found in our IRTE Skills Challenge supplement, also within this magazine. Congratulations not only the winners, but to everyone who took part in this year’s competition. May your involvement give you the confidence and enthusiasm to improve, just like the very best technologies out there.
Transport Engineer editor John Challen (pictured).
