Test truck self-driving parcel delivery on a route of more than 1,600km

US Postal Service (USPS) is testing a program for self-driving trucks to handle parcel delivery.

This is the first time USPS has adopted self-driving vehicle technology for long-distance routes. This activity takes place in the context of automobile investors and manufacturers are pouring billions of dollars into truck automation.

A TuSimple truck.(Photo: ttnews.com).

The trial program is expected to last for two weeks starting on May 21, and will use Tusimple's auto truck tractors to transport on five roads connecting distribution centers. Previously, a 22-hour parcel transfer through three federal highways was usually done by outsourced truck companies using two drivers, due to compliance with federal regulations that limit the number of hours behind. steering.

Chuck Price, the chief producer at Tusimple, said the trial is a turning point that shows the value of automation. Vehicles can continue to follow the journey regardless of the limited number of hours of continuous driving. People who understand auto technology industry believe that long-distance transport - an area that many executives say is having difficulty in recruiting and driving, is a promising market to expand new technology. . Unmanned vehicles have now been applied in some industries such as mining.

Tusimple's technology uses cameras capable of identifying obstacles at a distance of nearly 1km back, identifying emergency vehicles, pedestrians and dangerous roads. During the test period, the engineering team and safe driver will sit on the tractor that Tusimple designed from the Peterbilt model. They will swap positions when the car stops at the weighing station or refueling. Driving the left seat will constantly monitor the vehicle with the naked eye, understand what is happening on the environment. The person sitting in the chair must inform the driver of the objects that the automation system identifies and anticipate the next step of the vehicle.

Tusimple, the company that successfully called $ 95 million to expand its fleet of self-driving tractors , is one of many startups (start-up companies) that develop self-driving truck technology. Some are cooperating with major manufacturers such as Daimler AG, which recently announced plans to invest about US $ 570 million for highly automated trucks. In March, Dailmer AG also poured money to hold a controlling stake in Torc Robotics - the company has cooperated with Caterpillar Group to develop automated trucks for mining. Einride, a Swedish start-up, this month also started using automatic electric trucks in short routes connecting warehouses and stockpiles at seaports.

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