Oh so simple? US start-up confident of delivering autonomous trucks
By Abigail Williams2019-10-28T12:30:00
As the global logistics industry continues moving towards the introduction and use of autonomous vehicles, a growing number of companies are competing for a slice of this burgeoning market. One such firm is Californian start-up TuSimple, which is developing a range of innovative self-driving truck technologies.
The mission of the San Diego-based company is to bring the first self-driving truck to market and to increase safety, decrease transportation costs and reduce carbon emissions. To this end, it has created novel autonomous technology that will enable shipping companies and other clients to operate self-driving Class 8 tractor-trailers (vehicles weighing over 33,000 pounds, with three or more axles). TuSimple trucks operate at SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Level 4, which means they can achieve full automation without human intervention under defined driving conditions
TuSimple received a major boost in August 2019, when global shipping and logistics giant UPS revealed that its internal venture capital group, UPS Ventures, had made a minority investment in the company. The financial support bolsters UPS’ interest in an ongoing commercial relationship which is viewed as a first in the autonomous trucking industry.