U.S. self-driving truck developer TuSimple has agreed with the Union Pacific Railroad to transport its cargo in fully self-driving trucks without people in the cab.
Several companies have been actively testing unmanned truck tractors on American public roads for several years now.
What’s more, back in 2016, Otto’s self-driving truck made its first commercial drive, transporting 51,000 cans of beer in Colorado.
However, until recently, all cargo autonomous trips took place with a person in the cabin, who either sat directly at the wheel, securing the autopilot, or in the passenger seat with the ability to stop the car.
At the end of December, TuSimple announced that its truck was the first in the world to make a full-fledged autonomous trip.
From the beginning to the end of the route, the car moved independently without a person in the cabin or a remote operator.
The company now says its trucks have driven 885 kilometers in this mode since then, and that it has found the first customer for its fully self-driving trucks
They will begin hauling cargo for the Union Pacific Railroad this spring.
Trucks will travel in Arizona between the cities of Tucson and Phoenix.
The distance between city centers is about 180 kilometers, but cars will probably travel along the same route between the outskirts of cities as in the December race.
Its length was 128 kilometers.
Going forward, TuSimple plans to increase the number of trucks and customers in order to become a profitable company by the end of 2023.
In particular, it is going to deploy a network of unmanned cargo transportation in the Texas Triangle, a densely populated part of the state of Texas.
Source:
PRnewswire: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tusimple-automates-nations-first-trucking-lane-in-arizona-will-haul-driver-out-freight-for-union-pacific-railroad-301473475.html
AZFamily: https://www.azfamily.com/news/features/autonomous-truck-company-tusimple-to-haul-freight-for-union-pacific-railroad-in-arizona/article_28802fe6-843d-11ec-93f8-a7934b216688.html
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