Autonomous

About Autonomous News...

Autonomous technologies now drive significant change in trucking and freight transportation. Transport Topics autonomous coverage provides a comprehensive look at that change. It provides the latest details on deployment concepts such as advanced driver-assist systems, transfer hubs, teleoperations, platooning and off-road automation and latest analysis of the companies who are manufacturing, adopting and investing in these technologies. Readers can follow the impact such deployment has on everything from policy and infrastructure initiatives to highway congestion, fuel consumption, fleet management, driver management and business investment.

Business, Technology, Logistics, Autonomous

TuSimple to Use New Funds for System Development, Route Expansion

Startup autonomous truck company TuSimple announced commitments from investors for an additional $120 million. These funds are part of an extended Series D round that was oversubscribed and reached a total of $215 million.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
September 17, 2019
Business, Technology, Autonomous

VW in $9 Billion Software Revamp as It Expands Tech Shift

Volkswagen AG is bundling its software operations with an investment plan of about 8 billion euro ($9 billion) over the next three to five years, another step in the electric- and connected-car shift that’s heralding massive change across the industry.

Christoph Rauwald | Bloomberg News
September 13, 2019
Business, Technology, Autonomous

China’s ‘Uber-for-Trucks’ Breaks Even En Route to IPO

China’s Uber-for-trucks startup Full Truck Alliance said it’s weighing an initial public offering after breaking even from May, defying a sectorwide downturn.

September 13, 2019
Business, Technology, Safety, Autonomous

Volvo Improves Braking, Detection With Updated Driver Assist System

DUBLIN, Va. — Volvo Trucks North America introduced an updated version of its driver assistance system that increases the speed from which the brakes can stop the truck without driver input, and which improves the system’s recognition of when the driver switches lanes to avoid a vehicle in its path.

Joe Howard | Executive Editor
September 12, 2019
Government, Business, Technology, Autonomous, TCA

Michigan Gets $7.5 Million to Test Self-Driving Cars

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding a $7.5 million grant to the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, the University of Michigan and the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti to boost research, development and testing of self-driving cars.

Keith Laing | Bloomberg News
September 12, 2019
Government, Technology, Autonomous

Ohio Announces DOT Grant for Automated Driving Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded an Ohio-based team of industry, academic and community partners a $7.5 million grant to develop self-driving vehicles.

Eleanor Lamb | Staff Reporter
September 11, 2019
Government, Technology, Safety, Logistics, Autonomous

Cities Need ‘Sophisticated Urban Freight Policies,’ Report Says

Officials aiming to facilitate the flow of freight amid advancements in autonomous vehicle technologies need policies designed to reduce the frequency of freight trips while enhancing safety, a new report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials concluded.

Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter
September 10, 2019
Government, Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

UD Trucks Tests Level 4 Autonomous Driving in Japan

Japanese truck maker UD Trucks, a unit of Volvo Group, announced it showcased Level 4 autonomous driving together with the nation’s largest logistics firm and a 100-year-old agricultural cooperative — calling the technology an important tool to address the contracting work force.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
September 10, 2019
Business, Technology, Safety, Logistics, Autonomous

Daimler, Torc Begin Testing Self-Driving Trucks in Virginia

Daimler Trucks has begun testing highly automated heavy-duty trucks on Virginia highways in partnership with its subsidiary, Torc Robotics, the companies said.

Seth Clevenger | Managing Editor, Features and Multimedia
September 9, 2019
Business, Technology, Autonomous

Plus.ai Enters Joint Venture With Chinese Truck Maker FAW Jiefang

Plus.ai, a startup providing self-driving technology, announced a joint venture to develop autonomous trucks with FAW Jiefang, China’s oldest and largest truck manufacturer.

September 6, 2019