TuSimple self-driving truck developer to begin first commercial runs
TuSimple, a global autonomous driving technology company, has announced that Union Pacific Railroad (the largest Class I railroad in the US) will become the first customer to ship cargo along TuSimple's fully automated freight route in Arizona between Tucson and Phoenix, a distance of about 180 km.
Union Pacific is using Loup Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary, to coordinate freight shipments and ensure smooth movement between the railroad and critical first and last miles. Starting in spring 2022, TuSimple plans to haul Driver Out freight for Union Pacific, using its pioneering autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to deliver goods to their destination faster and at lower cost.
“The partnership with TuSimple allows us to extend our operations beyond our rail hubs and serve our customers faster and more efficiently. This pioneering autonomous driving technology and our partnership give us a significant opportunity to scale the technology across our network, actively easing congestion in the global supply chain”
Building on its world-first Driver Out semi-truck run on December 22, 2021, TuSimple has reported six more successful fully autonomous trips. The seven total runs covered more than 885 km on public open roads with no one in the vehicle, no remote control and no intervention in traffic. The runs took place in varied road conditions, including heavy evening traffic and back-to-back driving during the same night.
Going forward, TuSimple plans to continue its Driver Out program and gradually expand it, including daytime trips and new routes, while regularly improving its patented AV technology. By the end of 2023, TuSimple plans to reach commercial viability, starting continuous paid Driver Out freight runs in a major area such as the Texas Triangle (one of the US megaregions, comprising 25 cities).
“Our repeatable and scalable Driver Out operations mark an important turning point in our company's history. We were the first in the world to implement all the functions of driverless freight technology. We are proud to have reached this historic milestone on time and are ready to shift all our focus to accelerating the commercialization of our pioneering technology”
TuSimple continues to advance autonomous freight corridors through the Sunbelt (a US region), making truck transport safe, fast and efficient. To scale its operations in preparation for nationwide expansion, the company recently provided technical specifications to commercial real estate developers to prepare for future autonomous freight, including a state-of-the-art 92,903 square meter facility on a 27,000-acre site within AllianceTexas.
To date, TuSimple has more than 17,000 unique mapped kilometers across its autonomous freight network and plans to keep scaling its operations to support its sales partners.
Union Pacific delivers goods that families and businesses use every day, with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western US states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally friendly way to transport freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations.
"We are changing the way freight moves from point A to point B by offering revolutionary autonomous capacity operating on the world's first autonomous freight network. TuSimple offers significant advantages to both shippers and carriers and addresses many of the challenges logistics faces in supply chains today," the company said.
TuSimple is a global autonomous driving technology company headquartered in San Diego, California, with operations in Arizona, Texas, Europe and China. Founded in 2015, the company develops production-ready, fully autonomous (SAE Level 4) driving solutions for long-haul heavy-duty trucks.
TuSimple aims to transform the global freight industry, worth $4 trillion, with advanced artificial intelligence technology that lets trucks see 1,000 meters ahead, operate almost continuously and cut fuel consumption by 10% or more compared with manually driven trucks.
The company's market capitalization exceeds $7 billion. TuSimple employs 800 people. In the first quarter of 2021, the company spent $41.4 million on research and development, and its profit for the period was $994,000. In May 2021, a TuSimple self-driving truck covered 1,530 km in 14 hours, a job that usually takes a driver 24 hours.
