• TuSimple, an autonomous truck manufacturer, has partnered with third-party logistics company Loadsmith to integrate TuSimple’s Level 4 self-driving technology (i.e., fully autonomous vehicles limited to specific locations or conditions) into the latter’s operations. 

• Initially, Loadsmith has reserved 350 units of purpose-built trucks to be operated on TuSimple’s autonomous freight network by 2024.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Today’s partnership further illustrates the positive sentiment companies have on fully-autonomous trucking. TuSimple started driverless test runs in Arizona last December and added Union Pacific Railroad as its first customer for driverless truck operations last month. TuSimple is not the only company to have commenced fully autonomous truck pilots in the US. In November, Gatik launched fully autonomous trucking operations in Arkansas, marking the first in the US. Other peer companies Aurora Innovation and Embark Trucks are also progressing with their plans to begin driverless operations by 2023, while Google’s autonomous vehicle arm Waymo partnered with logistics company J.B. Hunt in January to start commercial driverless operations in the coming years.</ul>