Patent ID: 10857896

Abstract:
A reversible, driverless, fully electric or plug-in hybrid tractor-trailer includes a trailer equipped with autonomous reversible self-propulsion and steering equipment and configured to dock with one or two tractors in a pulling and/or pushing configuration. The tractor(s) are equipped for autonomous navigation. Replacement tractors can autonomously navigate from a charging and/or refueling facility to the tractor-trailer and can further autonomously execute a swap-out procedure by which spent tractor(s) are replaced by the freshly charged tractor(s). The replaced tractor(s) then autonomously navigate back to the charging and/or refueling facility, while the tractor-trailer continues, nonstop, toward its destination. Where allowed by law, combination multi-trailer road-train vehicles can be formed by connecting trailers to trailers and also possibly inserting a tractor between trailers that are attached to both ends of the inserted tractor.