USPS are trialling autonomous trucks manufactured by tech startup TuSimple to deliver parcels to customers in Phoenix and Dallas ahead of the wider roll-out if proved to be successful.
USPS announced their vision of the possibility of using “a future class of vehicles” which will see improved service, save costs and reduce emissions.
The two-week trial of self-driving vehicles is part of the USPS’ mission to strengthen their last mile service capability. It will see a safety driver behind the wheel for the 1,000-mile trip between Phoenix and Dallas. However, USPS say that the future will see a deport-to-deport service without a driver.
USPS say that the solution will see the company saving money on human drivers. The supplier spends about $4 billion per year on trucking services via outside contractors.
“This pilot is just one of many ways the Postal Service is innovating and investing in its future.”
– USPS
“When the vehicle can operate truly driverless, it will be much more efficient. It’s polite. It uses turn signals. It merges properly. It does all of the things that a professional driver is trained to do. We think we complete a coast-to-coast run in two days, where today it takes five.”
– Chuck Price, chief product officer at TuSimple
