German research body Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft developed an AI prediction tool to tackle a lack of available parking spaces for trucks, a problem it argued can have dire consequences for the logistics and shipping industry.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s Institute for Telecommunications and Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) are developing the AI tool with partners in a project backed by the German government.

It noted a road haulage group estimates there are a shortage of 40,000 parking spaces.

The Smart Optimised Lorry Parking (SOLP) project provides a dynamic calculation of possible parking spaces using information including traffic density, availability of spaces, and driving and mandated rest periods.

Thomas Meiers, a scientist at Fraunhofer HHI and part the team which developed the AI modelling, said the innovative element in SOLP is it offers details of the number of spaces available in truck stops on a driver’s route so they “can proceed directly and quickly to those spots” and mitigate legal risks involved in exceeding regulated driving times.

The institutes are preparing to pilot the system, which is available on an app or in-vehicle display and provides colour-coded details on parking availability.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft stated the AI “is trained with information on the location and features of induction loops, which count the number of vehicles passing through and parking spaces within the highway network”.

Space availability is predicted by analysing the information and linking it “in real time with the routes travelled by truck drivers”.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft stated the goal is to improve the efficiency of truck parking while boosting safety for drivers it said are currently forced into stopping in risky locations.

“Logistics companies will be able to plan their deliveries more reliably while conserving fuel and cutting costs”, while drivers should experience less stress when trying to comply with their required break times, it explained.