The Future of the Construction Industry – and How to Protect It!
You’ve probably read in the trade press about how giant mining company Rio Tinto is going driverless with articulated haul trucks at their mining operations in Australia. It seems like science fiction, but it could very well be the future of the construction industry. It’s also impossible to miss stories about Google and others working to develop driverless automobiles.
Rio Tinto executives describe their Mine of the Future autonomous truck program as “well advanced,” and they’re working on another project using driverless trains, too. most of these systems are operated remotely from their office in Perth. They’re investing enormous sums of money, but they say they’re reaping “deep system visibility” from all that advanced technology and automation.
What they’re learning will certainly impact equipment in the future, perhaps changing the face of the construction industry.
Meanwhile, General Motors and others here in the U.S. say the long-haul trucking industry will be the first to see real change. Convoys of driverless trucks are already rolling in Japan and Europe, with a human driver only in the lead vehicle. Remote control is far less complicated when there’s comparatively little traffic and few interruptions like those that exist in urban and suburban settings.
It’s all based on mobile devices and wireless communication – a new kind of internet that operates over the road and off-road rather than in the cloud.
Does all this make you want to call your insurance agent?
By 2020, industry experts say you could look over and see, well, nobody driving the car next to you on the road. Already we’re seeing an increasing number of driver-assisting innovations such as collision-prevention detection and hands-free parallel parking.
Driverless vehicles are expected to increase safety, on or off the road, resulting in fewer injuries and deaths and less expensive down time due to damage. They are also expected to lower the nation’s fuel consumption, enable trucking companies to improve delivery schedules and reduce eco-concerns.
Reality check.
Automation may be able to eliminate many human-caused operating problems with trucks, cars and construction equipment, but you know things will still go wrong. And it’s not clear yet who will be held responsible when that happens, with no driver at the wheel.
The bottom line? In the real world of today’s construction marketplace, dealers still need to work with their customers to ensure equipment is appropriately protected. And it pays to remember that extended warranties – a particularly smart investment for construction equipment dealerships as well as their customers – are designed to cover mechanical breakdown, not accidents.
Programs such as Protect My Iron®, enable dealerships to offer a variety of extended coverage options directly to customers. The program includes proprietary software that links the customer, dealer and OEM, providing complete but streamlined record keeping and allowing 24/7 access to review equipment warranty information, initiate or follow up on a claim. It’s a sleek and effective management tool. Another example of how automation is helping enhance the construction industry.
So maybe your dealership’s customers won’t be going driverless any time soon. Nonetheless, it’s a concept that has captured the imagination of equipment designers and IT innovators as well as at least a few of the world’s largest enterprises. The huge investment contributions of companies like Google and Rio Tinto will inevitably produce results that will eventually affect even the smallest contractors.
Technologies will become more widely available, and as time goes on, prices will come down. Will you and your customers be ready?
