A monumental partnership between TuSimple and Ryder

Our nations people are attuned to new technologies that will improve daily life; in some instances they have come to expect it.

These high-tech options improve current jobs and create new jobs. Perhaps none seen so evidently as the enhancement of the professional driving job, making it safer and bringing more people into the trucking industry. There is clearly an investment in preserving the industry.

Finally, a battered trade can envision relief with the nationwide embracing of the adoption of technological innovation in the auto industry. This is more than a scientific breakthrough; it is also an undertaking of addressing the basic needs of humanity.

With virus raging from continent to continent, the need for medical supplies and manufacturing equipment as well as batteries and chips, we need to examine how our goods will get to our front door or to the doctor’s office and hospital or to the car manufacturer.  

In the summer of 2020 when our grocery stores had no meat or toilet paper in stock or there was a shortage in fuel over the winter - for a fleeting moment the news talked about trucks drivers, but only for a moment. Not since the days of the great Jimmy Hoffa has there been so much pressure on the driver and their labor unions. 

Of course, there is concern about preserving the ability for truckers to have jobs, but I believe even the teamsters would agree that it’s not just a shortage problem, it’s a problem with the whole industry. 

 Driver Retention 

Truck parking 

 Long time away from family 

 Driver compensation 

These problems must get solved because goods/freight need to flow to keep our country albeit the whole world in ample supply. It’s time for us to recognize the true promise of autonomous trucks. I’m not talking about the 80,000-pound truck without a driver going any and everywhere in all conditions. Anyone with true integrity in this business will acknowledge that’s a little way away. 

But what if set routes on long stretches of highway insured that basic freight would move no matter the labor force. This would allow the professional drivers to concentrate in specific areas of the industry, moving live-stock, hazardous materials and handling customer centric deliveries. It makes sense. The sooner we not only embrace autonomous vehicle usage but have government leading the way, the better for us all. 

And now we have a partnership between TuSimple and Ryder to help meet the needs of the industry. Autonomous trucking company TuSimple currently has a fleet consisting of approximately 50 autonomous trucks transporting freight through the Southeastern states of Arizona New Mexico and Texas. In addition, TuSimple has plans to increase their operations and expects to expand their operations to include moving freight between Arizona and Florida. 

The clearest evidence of middle-mile autonomous movement of freight is their partnership with Ryder.  Ryder is a transportation and logistics company well known for its fleet of commercial rental trucks. Ryder is a sizeable transportation company partnering with TuSimple, with $9 billion in yearly revenue and almost 40,000 employees. Ryder is headquartered in Florida, which has proven to be autonomous vehicle friendly. In fact, encouraging autonomous vehicle companies to test, pilot and locate in Florida. Florida also has very autonomous vehicle friendly legislation addressing the conditions under which these companies can operate within the state.

TuSimple intends to leverage the significant footprint of Ryder and eventually utilize their facilities in locations all across the country to serve as beginning and ending points for autonomous vehicle movement of freight. Giving TuSimple the ability to operate on 24-hour 365 days a week basis. It means TuSimple will be able to increase scale without having to build facilities. Thus, providing shippers, fleets, drivers and end users greater access and benefit from autonomous vehicle operations.

This network will allow drivers to work in their local community on set shifts instead of long-days over the road and away from their families’ weeks at a time. It will also allow for the movement of freight in the safest possible conditions making our roadways more secure for other motorists. It does not displace the professional truck driver. It does mean that they can look forward to a steady salary, where they will not have to worry about driver parking or detention time. These conditions improve life for much of the industry and it is the autonomous movement of freight that makes it all possible.

This autonomous thing is not going away, so let’s use it in the best manner possible for the maximum number of people all while maintaining our humanity.