An extensive field test with self-driving trucks has begun this fall in the United States. DAF’s parent company PACCAR and FedEx are jointly supporting this project. Its objective: to continue increasing road safety and transport efficiency.

Earlier this year, PACCAR partnered with Aurora, an American technology company specializing in autonomous driving. Now, the 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 travel the route from Dallas to Houston and vice versa, a distance of approximately 400 kilometers one way. Self-driving trucks will transport goods for FedEx on the regular road network. Although the vehicles drive autonomously, there is a driver in each cab who can always take control of a truck right away. This guarantees road safety at all times.

DAF and the American field test

The technology of the trucks used, the American roads and the use of the vehicles are not comparable to the situation in Europe. This does not alter the fact that DAF will, of course, benefit from the knowledge acquired by PACCAR, Aurora and FedEx.

Bron & Photo: Daf Trucks