Autonomous trucks

Waymo deepens investment in autonomous trucking

Waymo is opening a research and development facility for trucking in Menlo Park, California, as the Alphabet-backed startup best known for its robotaxis continues to deepen its investment in autonomous delivery and freight transportation.

According to a press release on Tuesday, Waymo is also partnering with the Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC) in East Liberty, Ohio, to co-develop a custom testing environment for the fifth-generation Waymo Driver, its self-driving hardware and software...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/waymo-deepens-investment-in-autonomous-trucking

Commentary: 4D imaging radar is in for long haul

4D imaging radar key to autonomous vehicles

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

The trucking industry has been in a strange situation for some time now. The market for the movement of overland freight is estimated in the United States to be worth over $1.1 trillion in 2020. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates the freight volume is expected to grow by 2.3% between 2024 and 2028 and is predicting revenue growth of 36.6% over the next...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-4d-imaging-radar-is-in-for-long-haul

5 trucking sustainability trends for 2021

5 sustainability trends for 2021 in the trucking industry.

According to an International Transport Forum (ITF) report, freight accounts for 7% of total global CO2 emissions, with trucking being the largest contributor. As the world faces more effects of climate change every day, the trucking industry is driving toward a greener, more efficient future.

Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)

The deployment of AFVs — including electric, hydrogen-electric and renewable natural gas (RNG) — is on the rise. The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) said electric...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-trucking-sustainability-trends-for-2021

Self-driving trucks are almost here (with video)

Self-driving truck company Plus is focused on applying autonomous technology to the commercial freight market, said co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Shawn Kerrigan.

“We think that there is a tremendous potential in the autonomous vehicle space to improve safety, reduce costs, reduce CO2 emissions and just drive overall economic efficiency,” Kerrigan said.

Kerrigan joined FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller on a special episode of Fuller Speed Ahead Thursday as part of FreightWaves LIVE @HOME. The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/self-driving-trucks-are-almost-here-with-video

Could autonomous trucks in dedicated lanes someday kill rail?

A photograph of a train traveling across a barren mountain range.

Although decades away, the deployment of autonomous trucks in truck-only lanes could potentially be the death knell for the freight railroads should the railroads do nothing to ensure their relevance, an economist said during a recent panel on legacy of the Staggers Rail Act and the Motor Carrier Act.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) “is going to be regulating a graveyard. There’s a good chance that rail won’t survive once we start moving to autonomous vehicles,” said Clifford Winston,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/could-autonomous-trucks-someday-kill-rail

Outrider reins in $65 million to automate distribution yards

The freight industry is inching closer to electrification and autonomy, and much of the action is taking place in the distribution yard.

Among the beneficiaries is Outrider, a startup that automates yard operations for logistics hubs. 

On Wednesday, the Golden, Colorado-based company announced it had closed $65 million in Series B funding. Koch Disruptive Technologies led the round, with participation from existing investors NEA, 8VC and Prologis Ventures. New investors included Henry Crown and...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/outrider-reins-in-65-million-to-automate-distribution-yards

Daimler, Waymo joining forces to build autonomous Freightliner Cascadia

  • Daimler and Waymo announced a strategic partnership to develop and deploy autonomous trucks.
  • The collaboration will focus initially on integrating redundant safety systems into a custom chassis.
  • Waymo CEO: “We always had a plan to unlock the Class 8 automated driver.”

Two of the biggest names in trucking and autonomous vehicles announced a partnership on Tuesday, raising the stakes in the race among OEMs and startups alike to get fully autonomous trucks on the road.

Global manufacturer...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/daimler-waymo-joining-forces-to-build-autonomous-freightliner-cascadia

Driverless middle-mile deliveries could begin by next summer (with video)

Gatik driverless box truck

If plans pan out, Walmart (NYSE: WMT) e-commerce shoppers in Bentonville, Arkansas, could be picking up orders delivered by fully autonomous vehicles by next summer.

That’s the ambitious timeline that Sam Saad, head of operations for Gatik, an autonomous vehicle startup, explained during a fireside chat Friday as part of FreightWaves’ Cold Chain Summit. Saad told interviewer Kevin Hill, director of research and editorial for FreightWaves, that he hoped fully autonomous vehicles would be on the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/driverless-middle-mile-deliveries-could-begin-by-next-summer-with-video

The Daily Dash: A wild Q4 and even better times ahead?

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, Knight-Swift has upped its earnings outlook for 2021 even as experts are predicting a difficult fourth quarter to forecast. Plus, Kenan Advantage Group could be for sale and autonomous vehicle startup Aurora adds executive firepower.

Setting a standard

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KNX) has issued its 2021 guidance more than a quarter ahead of usual. And the expectations are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-daily-dash-a-wild-q4-and-even-better-times-ahead

From Waymo, a smattering of detail about its autonomous trucking technology

Autonomous vehicle company Waymo provided a glimpse of its autonomous truck technology in a blog post this week, as the Alphabet-backed startup best known for self-driving passenger vehicles steps up its delivery and freight program.

Waymo said its autonomous vehicle software powers its self-driving vehicles across modes and that to configure the system for Class 8 big rigs, engineers take into account the fact that trucks require more time and space to maneuver and can have different blind...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/from-waymo-a-smattering-of-detail-about-its-autonomous-trucking-technology

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