Self-driving/automating commercial vehicles totaling more than 139,000 are expecting to be on the road by 2026. This is according to new data that comes from ABI Research.
In fact, these vehicle shipments did rise to a massive 186% from 2024 through 2026 as Level 4 autonomy moves to heavy-duty trucks and pilots across multiple regions.
Self-Driving Trucks – Partnership Companies
“In fact, TuSimple with Navistar plan together to launch in 2024, along with their Autonomous Freight Network underway with partners like Penske Truck Leasing,” said Susan Beardslee. She is the principal analyst of supply chain management and logistics at ABI Research. “Then, there are others that are gaining in momentum which include Plus, planned for 2024, and IPO candidate Aurora, expecting integration with PACCAR and Volvo in 2023.”
Commercialization and Other Modes of Autonomous Transportation
There are others that are moving toward commercialization across North America, Europe, and Asia. They include Intel’s Mobileye. That company is developing autonomous delivery vans, shuttles, and robotaxis. Expanding its autonomous truck operations in Texas, Arizona, and California is Waymo.
Self-Driving: Autonomous Trucking
In addition, there are other automotive component companies getting into autonomous trucking. They include tire companies such as Bridgestone and Goodyear, which are, in fact, looking to integrate smart tires into trucks to help with safety. Earlier this year, Bridgestone made a minority investment in startup Kodiak Robotics for its Level 4 autonomous trucks.
Driver Shortage
In fact, there are reasons for the uptick in self-driving truck investment. Moreover, this involvement is definitely being driving by the continuous driver shortage happening on a global level.
The next step in first-mile shipping and logistics is seeing through self-driving trucks. Moreover, they will help really address the nation’s present truck driver shortage. Now, there are approximately 50,000 unfilled driver positions.
By the mid-2020s, the shortage is expecting to grow to 175,000. This is according to sources in the trucking industry. It will help, in addition, to the increase in the demand that is being anticipated in the e-commerce industry. It will require that there be more trucks on the road.
