Autonomous Vehicles

Kodiak Robotics, the Mountain View, California-based autonomous trucking company, has laid off about 20% of its staff, The Information reported Thursday, raising new questions about the ability of autonomous trucking startups to follow through on the promise of getting self-driving big rigs on the road. “Like many both in our industry and beyond it, we […]

Paul Schlegel writes about the future of autonomous vehicles – particularly autonomous trucks.

Einride remote operator controls multiple autonomous trucks at the same time

While most executives agree that digital disruption is creating winners and losers, their views on the immediate impact of most technologies remain uncertain.

The disruption to the supply chain from COVID-19 is likely to cause a change in the way freight industries behave moving forward, including renewed interest in autonomous technologies.

The collaboration will produce cameras, LiDAR, radar, steering and more.

Will the coronavirus accelerate contactless delivery services?

Wingcopter is a German-based startup that manufactures drones that attain maximum speeds of 150 mph with a 75-mile range.

Anthony Levandowski, considered a pioneer in the development of autonomous transportation technology, has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in California, according to multiple press reports. Lewandowski pleaded guilty to stealing documents and other technology information from Google, which he had joined after his own startup had been acquired. He then took that information and […]

Starsky Robotics believed it had a viable path to autonomous trucking, but investors didn’t agree and the startup ran out of money.

Autonomous truck developer Starsky Robotics has ceased operations as it was unable to attract investment or a buyer.

Deliveries of contracted freight with actual trucks will be the focus of the three-year partnership.

Good day, StradVision, an AI-based camera perception system, has announced it is developing animal detection capabilities for its SVNet software, which is used in advanced driver assist systems as well as autonomous vehicles. StradVision CEO Junhwan Kim said in a statement that the new software will “almost completely end” collisions between animals and vehicles. In […]

Anthony Levandowski still faces criminal charges after federal prosecutors allege he stole secrets about Google’s self-driving arm.

The robotic trucking company will expand its UPS runs to 20 trips per week and has added an extra run between Phoenix and El Paso, Texas.

The Waymo round reflects new consolidation in the self-driving space

“They don’t need to sleep in a vehicle. They can work in an office environment and then go home.”

Founders of the self-driving truck outfit discuss efforts to build a logistics company for autonomous vehicles.

Apex.AI is an autonomous driving startup that builds software on the Robot Operating System (ROS), bringing improved safety to vehicles.

U.S. DOT green lights Nuro with first ever autonomous vehicle exemption

We gear down into the backhaul of our week with news of a headline glitch. Starting early Thursday, small-business truckers who rely on the spot market began reporting problems logging in to the DAT load board to find freight. While the DAT online load board and mobile app are back up and working now, DAT […]

Canadian auto manufacturer says it will stop developing self-driving technology with the U.S. ride-sharing company as it announces lower sales outlook for 2020.

Plus: BYD pushes zero emissions mandate in California and Seattle pushes Amazon tax.

Kenworth skipped the fanfare in showing its Class 8 autonomous truck for the first time ar CES 2020.

U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao touts agency collaboration and leadership in AV research and development.

The first daughter’s speech touches on trucking and smart workforce development solutions.

The autonomous trucking startup plans to test vehicles in most continental states by the end of 2020.

Volvo is putting all its autonomous vehicles work under a new unit.

“By employing remote drivers, we can make trucks fully driverless while still keeping humans in the loop,” said Seltz-Axmacher.

“Wow, this is a big differentiator,” University of California San Diego researcher says.

Less than six months after Refraction came out of stealth mode, the robotics startup  is launching its first food delivery service, for residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan, according to a statement released on Dec. 12. Customers within the 2.5-mile delivery zone can now place lunchtime orders from local restaurants for delivery via Refraction’s  REV-1 robot. […]

The self-driving truck startup hauled tubs of Land O’Lakes butter from Tulare, California, to Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

The Swedish truck giant’s venture capital arm has invested an undisclosed sum in Autotech Ventures.

An Einride vehicle will ferry goods between warehouses operated by Coca-Cola European Partners and Axfood, one of Sweden’s largest food retailers.

“The belief that technological advancements of labor-saving equipment will lead to long-term unemployment is a fallacy that can lead to great harm,” Pronto CEO says.

Democratic candidate Andrew Yang also proposes a $1,000-a-month “universal basic income” for workers displaced by automation.

NTSB advises Uber and regulators overhaul AV testing policies.

A study released by autonomous truck startup Ike suggests that instead of eliminating jobs, some approaches to automation shift the task from long-haul to short-haul jobs for drivers.

MIT-incubated start-up looks for learning models; just what food truck do you like?

This is another in a series of videos produced by FreightWaves and SmartDrive, recorded at the recent SmartDrive Customer Conference in Atlanta. FreightWaves editor-at-large John Kingston discussed several key issues in trucking and transport today with both SmartDrive executives and several conference speakers.   “Where it comes to the unexpected” is where SmartDrive is targeting its […]

The company is the first to release a safety assessment before testing vehicles on public roads.

The Swedish autonomous electric truck startup Einride closes a $25 million Series A round.

Plus.ai partners with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to see how its self-driving trucks perform in cold weather.

FreightWaves’ Chief Analytics Officer Dean Croke (who also has been a professional truck driver), reviews the newest Freightliner Cascadia.

Peter Voorhoeve recently passed his first anniversary as president of Volvo Trucks North America after five years running Volvo Group’s (OTC: VLVLY) Australian operations. During his brief tenure, Volvo’s market share is down nearly a percentage point. But he isn’t sweating it. “For me, market share is a result, not an objective,” Voorhoeve said in […]

Autonomous trucking outfit Embark Trucks has raised $70 million in a series C funding round led by Tiger Global Management, with participation from seven other firms, Forbes has reported. The new financing round brings its fundraising total to $117 million. The company will use the funds to add staff and trucks to its fleet, which […]

$7.5 million going to Virginia Tech will also help set industry guidelines.

Boris Blanche, managing director of the International Road Transport Union, believes upskilling, better recruitment practices and semi-autonomous trucking can help address the shortfall of drivers.

OEMs discuss the seemingly endless benefits that accrue from connected truck platforms.

The autonomous trucking company announces an additional $120 million in Series D investment.

SmartDrive, a company that focuses on video-based safety and transportation intelligence designed to help truck drivers, has landed $90 million in outside funding, the company announced Sept. 12. The round was led by TPG Sixth Street Partners, along with unnamed existing investors, who see potential opportunity as demand for video-based telematics accelerates. The company previously […]

A conversation about the future of autonomous trucking with pro-labor author and sociologist Steve Viscelli.

Daimler Trucks is moving closer to its goal of commercially producing Level 4 autonomous trucks with public road testing in Virginia.

Closing in on China’s massive trucking market, autonomous trucking outfit Plus.ai on Sept. 6 announced a joint venture with FAW Jiefang, China’s largest truck manufacturer, to develop self-driving big rigs for the world’s most populous country. The new venture, which builds on a two-year relationship between the two companies, also is launching its first product, […]

U.D. Trucks, the Japanese unit of Swedish truck maker AB Volvo. conducted the first test of an Level 4 autonomous truck in the island nation. The test run at a sugar processing facility in Hokkaido prefecture is partially aimed at addressing a shortage of truck drivers worsened by an aging population.

ATA says rules should assume “drivers” will no longer be people.

Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer at Google and Uber, is charged with 33 counts of theft and attempted theft in a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, August 27.

Israeli startup TriEye has received investment from German carmaker Porsche as part of its $19 million Series A round of financing.

FreightWaves chief analytics officer Dean Croke – who has also driven more than 2 million miles behind the wheel of heavy-duty trucks – previews Copilot by Pronto.

Already the undisputed Class 8 sales leader, the 2020 Freightliner Cascadia arriving this fall is a technological tour de force that allows the truck to do most of the work of driving.

Velodyne has filed patent infringement claims that its rotating 3D LiDAR technology was copied by Chinese companies Hesai and RoboSense.

It is the first time a transportation and logistics provider has invested in an autonomous trucking company.

Amazon nears U.S. release for Prime Air drone deliveries.

Get ready for the goodies coming from federal transport spending legislation. Money for inland waterway network will be funds well spent.

Sandeep Kar has written a thought-provoking article about changes in trucks and how those changes affect truck drivers. He also writes about what the future may hold for truck drivers in the coming years.

Volvo Trucks says anyone involved in heavy-duty trucking has a “moral obligation” to make trucking safer.

BMW and Daimler are collaborating on a long-term partnership to develop Level 4 self-driving cars that can drive autonomously on motorways and park without human intervention.

The FreightWaves Freight Intel Group has released another study – this one on autonomous trucking. Read what they foresee for the trucking industry and drivers in the years ahead.

Starsky Robotics tested its fully unmanned autonomous truck on a 9.4-mile stretch of public highway on the Florida Turnpike.

In a future where autonomous vehicles offer mobility-as-a-service, it is critical to identify the parties involved in transactions – the users and the vehicles. Blockchain can help in this regard.

The FreightWaves Freight Intel Group is producing research culled from FreightWaves SONAR and other sources. Read about its first several research papers and how to learn more.

Volvo’s Vera autonomous vehicle is now moving containers from a local distribution center to the port in Gothenburg, Sweden.

As some autonomous trucking startups seek to eventually eliminate drivers’ jobs completely, Starsky Robotics is taking a different approach.

AllianceTexas will now have a mobility innovation zone for companies to test their futuristic transportation technology before commercial deployment.

BoxBot is testing a self-driving, electric vehicle for parcel firm OnTrac in northern California.

Michelin Group announced it will partner with Swedish-based self-driving startup company Einride this week at the Movin’On Summit for sustainable mobility in Montreal.

Learn how existing and future technologies will continue the evolution of supply chains, transportation and warehousing.

Fiat Chrysler’s merger bid with Renault is the type of consolidation that the auto industry needs at the moment to expedite innovation and the development of futuristic tech.

Autonomous vehicles can be commercially deployed only after it convincingly addresses public and government concerns on safety and reliability.

Daimler Trucks is betting big on autonomous trucks, as the German-based company announced Wednesday, May 29, that it is establishing a global group that seeks to put highly automated commercial trucks on U.S. highways within the next 10 years.

Today on WTT we take a deep dive into the Idaho Hemp Trucker fiasco with journalist, Linda Baker, CEO Jacob Findlay has some huge news concerning FullBay, McLeod announces two new products, plus all the latest headlines, Big Deal, Little Deal, and the very first Comment Section Rodeo!

All this and more now on WTT?!?

Autonomous trucks will haul postal agency trailers between distribution centers in Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas.

As some technology companies scale back or eliminate their self-driving programs, Starsky Robotics is pushing forward with its autonomous truck technology.

Einride has introduced a Level 4 autonomous electric truck that will transport cargo between a warehouse and a terminal in DB Schenker’s facility.

Pairing professional truck drivers’ skills behind the wheel with automated systems designed to help prevent crashes is a win-win for the trucking industry, says Jason Palmer, chief operating officer of SmartDrive Systems.

Drivent is a self-driving technology company that is creating a suite of solutions that integrate with autonomous vehicles and provide exceptional user experiences.

After a brief hiatus, technology pioneer Anthony Levandowski has reappeared on the autonomous vehicle scene, but has dialed back his initial vision for driverless trucks in favor of a new safety system designed to assist drivers behind the wheel.

Building a small business is difficult if you don’t have access to the same powerful tools that larger competitors do. Uber Freight, with its growing suite of tools, has been trying to empower small fleets and owner-operators to allow them to compete on an even playing field.

German automobile and commercial vehicle technology supplier ZF Friedrichshafen plans to acquire rival Wabco for $7 billion, the companies announced Thursday.

Navistar’s Steve Gilligan discussed several technological opportunities for truck makers, including autonomous and electric trucks, during this week’s ACT Research conference.

Bendix is now making its advanced safety systems available for retrofit for models where it was not factory-installed. Plus, U.S. finds little support for postal rate changes, detention time increasing and air cargo boom may be over.

Uber and Waymo are admitting they don’t want to commit the resources necessary for autonomous tech to be commercially viable.

The audience brought up ‘the trolley problem’ and the productivity gains of Level 4 autonomous trucks.

The China Post and Deppon Express will begin autonomous package delivery in April using technology developed by FABU, a self-driving startup based in China and the U.S.

When Daimler Trucks North America introduced its 2020 model year Freightliner New Cascadia. all attention was focused on the eye-opening headline: it is a Level 2 autonomous truck. While that is the sexy part of the truck, an even sexier headline for fleets should be the advances in fuel efficiency in the new model.

The 2020 model year Freightliner New Cascadia features technologies that qualify it as a Level 2 autonomous, but drivers shouldn’t be scared off by that.

Ike CEO Alden Woodrow and TuSimple chief product officer Chuck Price discuss the value of being the first company to bring a fully autonomous truck to market, the trucking hardware challenge and how to get buy-in from the public and regulators.

Baraja raised U.S.$35m on the back of its ability to use lasers, prisms and the colors of the rainbow to grant sight to machines. It’s a critical step on the path to helping vehicles drive themselves. Photo – Shutterstock.

Message from NATSO: Technology trends will force truck stop owners to reevaluate how they serve their customers.