FedEx Tests Autonomous Cargo Truck That Will Eliminate Driver Functions

FedEx's autonomous cargo truck begins trials. (photo: aurora)

JAKARTA - FedEx has launched a commercial pilot to test autonomous cargo transport between Dallas and Houston. Autonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly common in several US states as more companies join the race to start full self-driving services across the country.

One of the most notable advances in this sector comes from Alphabet's Waymo, which recently rolled out its Trusted Examiner Program to San Francisco after extensive testing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Even though more companies are getting on board with self-driving, safety remains a concern, and reports of Tesla crashes on autopilot, don't help matters. While car accidents involving human drivers have been around since the dawn of the auto industry, accidents involving autonomous vehicles have always tended to get more publicity.

Alongside the much-publicized Tesla crash, Uber's autonomous vehicles have also been involved in at least one fatal crash. While the Waymo crashes were mostly relatively minor fender-benders with no reported fatalities.

FedEx is working with autonomous driving technology developer Aurora and commercial vehicle manufacturer PACCAR on a pilot project. The route chosen was between Houston and Dallas, resulting in a 500-mile round trip along Interstate 45, and the company said it would operate autonomous trucks on the route "several times" per week as part of that project.

According to FedEx, vehicles will still have backup drivers to keep them safe and to handle any emergencies if needed. Drivers are no longer needed when the vehicle is operating in autonomous mode.

The vehicle chosen for the project is a PACCAR Class 8 truck, while the automated driving technology will come from the Aurora. Equipment for self-driving technology includes multiple cameras and a large number of sensors, including LiDAR, radar, and more.

According to FedEx, the trial is part of its efforts to make the company "future ready" and will help improve the safety and efficiency of the sector going forward. The trial is part of what FedEx describes as "an industry-first three-way collaboration between logistics providers, autonomous technology developers, and truck manufacturers."

There's no official word from any of the three companies on when the trials will end or when wider deployment will begin, but that will most likely depend on how things are going in the intervention period.

Meanwhile, for Aurora, the project is part of its plans to launch its own autonomous truck business by 2023. According to comments provided to TechCrunch, the company hopes the lessons learned from the FedEx partnership will be used to further expand its fleet fully in self-driving mode without safety. drivers. If this is implemented, then the profession of a driver or driver in the future is no longer needed.