Researchers have identified the most valuable routes for companies to employ driverless lorries in the UK as trials of the new technology edge closer.

Top of the list is the M6/M74 corridor between Manchester and Glasgow, according to transport information firm Inrix.

Relatively low congestion and a long distance make the 215-mile Anglo-Scottish route the perfect place to deploy an autonomous truck, Inrix said in a new report.

The second most feasible corridor would be the A1 between Sheffield and Edinburgh, followed by the M5/A38 route between Plymouth and Birmingham.

Red truck driving on asphalt road in a rural landscape. White truck coming from afar. Sunny summer day with blue skies and white clouds.; Shutterstock ID 385555642; Purchase Order: -
Driverless lorries could be coming to UK roads (Image: Shutterstock)

The M25 London orbital motorway was selected as the road where driverless lorry technology could lead to the biggest safety improvement, due to having a significantly higher levels of dangerous incidents per mile than any other route.

Back in August 2017, the government said it would provide £8.1 million of funding towards autonomous trucking trials that would be conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory.

And Inrix’s report says that these automated vehicles will ‘dramatically alter the long-haul trucking sector’.

It predicted that the cost of the technology will decline as it is developed, and stated that it could provide “valuable savings” for UK firms due to the shortage of qualified HGV drivers and uncertainty over the movement of people after Brexit.

race; Shutterstock ID 18024700; Purchase Order: -
They could be trialled on UK roads by the end of the year (Image: Shutterstock)

Platoons of self-driving lorries are expected to be trialled on England’s motorways by the end of the year.

Up to three wirelessly connected HGVs will travel in convoy, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle.

Lorries driving close together could see the front vehicle pushing air out of the way, making the other vehicles more efficient and lowering their emissions.

All lorries involved will have a driver ready to take control if required.

Trucks driving on the asphalt road between trees in a rural landscape at sunset; Shutterstock ID 1093745870; Purchase Order: -

Here are the five most commercially viable corridors for autonomous freighting in the UK, according to Inrix:

1. M6/M74 Manchester-Glasgow
2. A1 Sheffield-Edinburgh
3. M5/A38 Plymouth-Birmingham
4. A9 Edinburgh-Inverness
5. M4 Swindon-Swansea
– Here are the top five corridors for autonomous freighting in the UK based on safety, according to Inrix:
1. M25 London orbital motorway
2. M6 Coventry-Manchester
3. M5/A38 Plymouth-Birmingham
4. M4 Swindon-Swansea
5. A1 Sheffield-Edinburgh