[Vocabulary] The meaning of pallets in this context

[Ali Hsn]

Salaam

The text below is about a new autonomous electric truck called "T-pod".
Does the word "pallets" in the following sentence refer to any kind of load, or does it exactly means flat pallets please?


"The company claims that it has already filled 60 percent of the 200 T-pods that will travel on the first anticipated route between Gothenburg and Helsingborg and says there are plans afoot to transport up to 2,000,000 pallets per year." (Source and full text)


Thanks.

 

[GoesStation]

Strictly speaking, it could mean loaded, partially-loaded, or unloaded pallets. In this context though, the company has little reason to brag about moving empty pallets around. We can safely assume that nearly all of those pallets will be loaded.

 

[emsr2d2]

It doesn't refer to "any kind of load". It refers only to "pallets" - see here.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

It's not a very good sentence. "...filled 60 percent of the 200 T-pods..." could mean:

1. 60 percent of 200 vehicles are full. 120 vehicles are full. There is no information on the status of the other 80 vehicles. Are they empty? Are they partially full?
2. 200 vehicles are (on average) 60% full.

I suspect the author meant #2, but the words written tend to favor explanation #1.

There's also a problem with "...T-pods that will travel on the first anticipated route..." Since the route is anticipated (not yet real), then will should be replaced with would.

 

[andrewg927]

I wonder how many people who read this sentence and came out with idea that 200 vehicles are 60% full. And "will" is correct. "I think I will travel by train" -> anticipation.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Will is not correct. "I think I will travel by train" -> anticipation. Not the same thing. There are already trains. There is not already a network of T-pod routes.

"I think I will travel by train" instead of by plane (or car, or bus, etc). You are making a choice among existing options. I would travel by rocket ship if that were an option. I would ship by T-pod if the route were established, but it is not (yet).

I wonder how many people who read this sentence and came out with idea that 200 vehicles are 60% full. Can you explain what you mean by this sentence? My guess is that you missed the on average part. A logistics business such as this one needs to decide whether to keep a regular schedule of deliveries with the possibility of some vehicles making the trip only partially (60%) filled or wait until fully loaded and perhaps losing time-sensitive business.

 

[andrewg927]

"will travel on the first anticipated route between Gothenburg and Helsingborg". Of course the route has been mapped out. How on earth are they going to send their T-pods anywhere unless they know where they are going and how? "anticipated route" clearly means the route has been created and it is the one they expect to go, hence the anticipation.

No, I didn't miss the "on average" part but the original sentence does not mention anything "average". You are filling in what was not there.