An extensive field test of autonomous driving trucks began in America this autumn. DAF's parent group PACCAR and FedEx are jointly pushing the project. Its aim: to further increase road safety and transport efficiency.
Earlier this year, PACCAR entered into a partnership with Aurora, a US technology company specialising in autonomous driving. Now technical services provider FedEx has joined this partnership. It is the first collaboration between a truck manufacturer, an autonomous driving technology developer and a logistics service provider.
Regular road network
The vehicles will operate on the route from Dallas to Houston and back, a distance of about 400 kilometres one way. The autonomous-driving trucks will transport goods on the regular road network for FedEx. Although the vehicles drive autonomously, there is a driver in each cab who can take direct control of a truck at all times. This ensures road safety at all times.
DAF and the US field test
The technology of the trucks used, the US roads and the deployment of the vehicles are not comparable to the situation in Europe. That said, DAF will obviously benefit from the knowledge gained by PACCAR, Aurora and FedEx.
Source & Photo: Daf Trucks
