The trucking industry appears ready to embrace SAE Level 4 technology that would permit driverless operations along predetermined, geofenced routes, allowing the industry to address driver shortages and ever-rising e-commerce freight volumes.
But after a few years of testing, are we any closer to a future where many so-called middle-mile routes can be performed without a driver behind the wheel?
Autonomous truck developer Gatik has been piloting its box trucks with Walmart in Arkansas, where its trucks have been performing runs between warehouses without drivers behind the wheel, demonstrating a business-to-business use case.
Now Gatik is looking to expand its operations and has partnered with Isuzu Motors Limited to design a new chassis meant for SAE Level 4 trucks, with an eye toward safety performance.
The new truck chassis will be engineered with autonomous tech in mind, with the two companies aiming for mass production of the specialized trucks starting in 2027.
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