Several of the nation’s largest fleets are investing in self-driving trucks. Ordering the trucks from a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is not an option at present, but carriers are now contracting with TuSimple, Plus, Locomation, Waymo and other companies that have developed self-driving technology.
Some OEMs are in the process of integrating the technology. TuSimple has a partnership with Navistar to offer self-driving trucks equipped with its autonomous driving system beginning in 2024.
Early investments in these systems by major fleets could disrupt the industry on an unprecedented scale, believes Criss Wilson, a data scientist at McLeod Software, a provider of transportation management software for carriers and freight brokers.
The reason Penske Truck Leasing, UPS, Schneider, U.S. Xpress, J.B. Hunt and other large fleets are on the bleeding edge of self-driving technology, he said, is “to have a first-mover advantage when autonomy becomes reality.”
[Related: U.S. Xpress invests in autonomous trucking firm]
Being the first movers of autonomous trucks will give fleets a low-cost advantage, according to Wilson’s data analysis.
