Transportation

TuSimple Enlists Ryder To Build Out A Robot Truck Network


TuSimple, a San Diego-based developer of autonomous driving technology for semi-trucks, says Ryder System will support its plans for a nationwide “autonomous freight network” across by providing access to U.S. facilities Ryder operates to keep big rigs rolling.  

The companies will determine which existing Ryder facilities would be best situated to become terminals for TuSimple’s network, AFN, secure facilities from which its autonomous delivery runs would begin and end. Rather than having to invest in creating new terminals of its own, TuSimple will pay for access to Ryder properties already set up to handle multiple big rigs arriving and departing around the clock, every day of the year, says CEO Cheng Lu.  

“This is part of our larger strategy to bring autonomous freight capacity to market scale, and we can’t do this alone. We want to build an ecosystem,” Lu tells Forbes. “Our technology allows our trucks to operate both on highways and streets, so because of that our trucks can go to Ryder facilities and leverage their maintenance, leverage their real estate as another terminal node in our network.”

Founded in 2015 by computer scientist and CTO Xiaodi Hou, TuSimple was the first autonomous tech company to go public with an IPO in April. Unlike Waymo, Cruise, Argo AI and Aurora, it has focused solely on developing a system capable of safely driving 80,000-pound cabs and trailers on highways and around cities, rather than robotaxis. The company sees trucking as a lucrative opportunity, given the trucking market’s annual revenue in the U.S. of more than $800 billion combined with an ongoing shortage of drivers for long-haul routes. 

So far, most of TuSimple’s truck runs—which currently have a human safety driver as a backup—are in the Southwest, hauling loads between its depots in Tucson and Texas. But the company’s fleet of 50 trucks is growing, as is the geographic area in which they operate. This year, it intends to begin trucking runs to the East Coast, expanding its operations from Phoenix to Orlando. It will also begin testing trucks in “driver-out” mode, with no safety driver, by the end of the year. 

“Ryder is focused on how to best leverage our vast location footprint, maintenance operations, and visibility tools to lead in the future world of autonomy,” said Ryder EVP Karen Jones, who is also CMO and leads new product innovation. “Partnering with TuSimple will help bring autonomous operations to market more quickly, while also providing Ryder access to new and emerging revenue streams.”  

Though TuSimple generates some revenue from hauling commercial freight loads with its test fleet (just $944,000 in the first quarter of 2021), its goal is to commercialize its technology from 2024, integrating its software, sensors and computing system into Navistar trucks. TuSimple says it has orders for 6,775 robotrucks so far.



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