MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Truck manufacturer MAN has begun test drives of computer-controlled trucks on the highway this month. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing and MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp took a ride in a self-driving semitrailer truck on the A9 highway near Munich on Thursday. The minister spoke of a milestone for freight transportation. Autonomous trucks could help to cope with the increasing volume of goods despite the growing shortage of drivers. Germany should become the lead market for automated and networked driving in Europe.

The Traton brand had tested self-driving trucks on the factory premises near Munich and has been driving on the highway for the first time since the beginning of April. By the end of the year, the prototypes will be on the road from Munich to Nuremberg, Ulm and Landsberg am Lech. A safety driver is always on board. In addition, each vehicle is monitored by a control center in Munich, which can intervene, steer and brake at any time.

MAN hopes to have developed vehicles ready for series production by the end of the decade, as Vlaskamp said. The German Road Haulage, Logistics and Disposal Association is skeptical about the technology. MAN's competitor Daimler has already been testing autonomous trucks with customers in the USA for some time and aims to generate three billion euros in sales by 2030./rol/DP/mis