Chinese self-driving truck start-up to roll out unmanned port logistics services in second half of 2018

TuSimple, a Chinese self-driving truck start-up backed by graphic chip giant Nvidia, said it is close to launching unmanned port logistics services, bringing the autonomous technology a step closer to commercialisation.

The company is in talks with about 10 ports in China with the goal of rolling out the service in the second half of the year, said Hao Jiannan, co-founder and chief operating executive of the Beijing and San Diego-based firm.  

“Autonomous logistics solutions will be more cost efficient for ports,” Hao said at the launch event in Beijing on Tuesday. “It represents the trend to follow in the future.”

A video clip screened at the event showed autonomous trucks, powered by TuSimple’s technology, loading and unloading containers at a port in China with the help of automatic loading cranes. China is home to Yangshan Port, one of the world’s busiest container terminals.

TuSimple, which counts US chip maker Nvidia as an investor, is among dozens of Chinese autonomous truck start-ups that have launched over the past two years. The use of autonomous driving in logistics operations is seen as safer because the vehicles drive in restricted areas where there are fewer, if any, pedestrians, unlike city driving where cars coexist with humans. 

“We are preparing for a full commercialisation by 2020,” said Xue Jiancong, assistant president of TuSimple, adding that the company will continue its research in cooperation with major truck makers in China and the US for autonomous truck production.