TuSimple partners with Ryder to strengthen autonomous freight network

Autonomous driving technology specialist TuSimple is joining forces with Ryder System to strengthen its autonomous freight network. This partnership with this specialist in supply chain, transport and fleet management systems was announced on July 29, 2021. TuSimple wants to take advantage of Ryder’s fleet maintenance facilities to act as terminals on its Autonomous Freight Network (AFN).

Develop your network

This AFN project aims to establish a mapped network of routes and expedition sites in the United States. Network designed for autonomous truck freight operations. Its deployment, scheduled for 2024, will be carried out with the support of UPS – which invested in 2019 in the American nugget via UPS Ventures – the carrier Xpress, the logistician Penske Truck Leasing and the distribution giant McLane Inc .

As part of this new partnership, the partners will first seek to identify Ryder warehouses that could be useful to TuSimple for its AFN. These depots will serve as the point of departure and arrival for the transports carried out by the autonomous trucks of TuSimple. These depots can accommodate several heavy goods vehicles that come and go 24/7 and will save TuSimple the expense of building one itself.

Initially, the partners will focus on the southern United States. But Ryder has a network of more than 500 service centers across the United States, which represents significant growth potential for this partnership. By strengthening its network, TuSimple wants to be able to facilitate access to autonomous trucks for freight forwarders.

This announcement comes at a time when the start-up is extending its network to meet growing demand. Its fleet today consists of about fifty autonomous SAE level 4 trucks that transport goods through the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. TuSimple wants to expand its operations on the east coast of the United States and transport goods between Phoenix and Orlando.

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