Debut of the world’s first fully autonomous truck yard in Texas
- A fully autonomous truck yard has been opened in Texas, US
- It’s set to boost safety efficiency and capacity
- It’s a world-first
Published on May 14, 2024 at 5:56 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 14, 2024 at 5:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A fully autonomous truck yard has been opened in Texas, US – and as well as being a world first, it’s also set to boost safety, efficiency, and capacity.
It combines the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision.
It could fully transform the world of transportation logistics.
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The pioneering system works to optimize the movements of trailers and containers in the yard, which simultaneously slashes costs, and enhances safety.
It also offers staffing predictability amid ongoing labor shortages.
The American Trucking Association projecting a shortage of 160 thousand truck drivers by the decade’s end.
This puts a strain on both the supply chain and the economy.
Facility managers can alleviate concerns regarding daily driver shifts, bolstering operational efficiency and augmenting driving capacity.
Technology company, ISEE, is behind the fully autonomous system that’s located on the customer site of a Fortune 100 company.
So far it’s proving to be a seamless integration of cutting-edge technology into real-world industry.
The move is a testament to the industry’s commitment to innovation.
It’s hoped that the advancement is also a step towards future advancements in the field.
“This campus is the first facility to commercially deploy a fleet of fully autonomous yard trucks,” Yibiao Zhao, CEO and co-founder of ISEE said alongside his co-founder, Debbie Yu.
“It validates that ISEE is leading the industry in autonomous yard truck technology.
“Recognizing revenue from a Fortune 100 customer for their full-facility deployment is only the beginning. We have a strong pipeline that we are excited to share when the moment is right.”
According to statistics from the US National Safety Council (NSC), transportation and warehousing have the highest worker injury rate.
And it’s equipment-related incidents that are the major culprit behind these incidents.
Turns out it’s not only Tesla’s self-driving feature that can save lives.
The deployment mitigates these transportation and warehousing issues by eradicating human error.
So, how does it work?
ISEE has developed cutting-edge sensor technologies and advanced algorithms.
Despite the system being fully autonomous, this ensures precise and cautious truck movement.
Merging seamlessly with existing yard management systems, warehouse management systems, and facility operations, the autonomous truck system yard will require no infrastructure tweaks.
Facility operators continue to utilize their systems, as ISEE’s tech dispatches autonomous yard trucks to fulfill requests.
It’s hoped this will make material movements even smoother.
However, these autonomous systems aren’t robots that will be stealing jobs from the workforce, as has previously been the worry around using autonomous tech in various industries.
For example, Amazon has expanded its warehouse robot fleet by over 100% in three years.
Instead, it’s hoped the deployment of the autonomous truck yard presents novel opportunities – both for training and upskilling transportation workers.
Opportunities lie in managing and maintaining this new system amid a shifting transportation landscape.
And, with a symbiotic relationship between technology and the human workforce in mind, the fully autonomous system can plug the gaps.
This includes operating at any time, in any weather.
This would allow autonomous truck yards to meet the demands of modern supply chains, allowing for further growth.
While autonomous systems are driving forward, lots of people saw a problem with this robot car park.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.