Autonomous technology startup Embark Trucks is giving trucking firm Knight-Swift a number of self-driving vehicles in what the companies say is the first time a U.S. carrier will directly own and operate self-driving trucks, the companies announced Feb. 8.
Until now, Embark and other autonomous vehicle developers have operated a testing model in which they own, maintain and dispatch autonomous trucks, placing their own drivers behind the wheel during hauls for shipper and carrier partners.
Now this new partnership marks the first time a carrier — Knight-Swift, one of the largest trucking companies in the United States — will own, maintain and deploy an autonomous truck and place its own driver behind the wheel. The companies noted this may be a major step on the path to eventual purchase and ownership of autonomous trucks by carriers.
The partnership will equip a set of Knight-Swift trucks with Embark’s self-driving technology. Embark plans to deliver the first of these trucks to Knight-Swift for use in daily operations by the end of 2022.
Embark and Knight-Swift noted this new program will help them collect detailed driver feedback on the performance of the self-driving technology, define how the system will improve driver jobs, and develop procedures and tools that enable Knight-Swift to maintain, inspect, dispatch, and remotely monitor Embark-equipped trucks.
Knight-Swift noted this new program will also help it determine how best to utilize its limited driver workforce to address the growing demands of the national supply chain, such as when to have drivers haul loads alongside autonomous capacity, when to have drivers team-drive with the Embark system, or under what circumstances to have drivers move local hauls to fulfill the last mile. Overall, the program will help define the proper blend of models to apply across the network over time.
Embark and Knight-Swift are currently also developing workflows to account for truck maintenance, dispatching, and technology integration points, among other matters, to ensure seamless integration of the automated driving systems.
