A historic milestone in U.S. road transport: Truck of the new company Bot Auto completed on 29 April the first fully autonomous commercial transport without any man on the vehicle. The truck traveled 372 km from Houston to Hutchins, Texas in less than four hours, during the night. Without a safety driver or remote operator, the vehicle delivered commercial cargo through Ryan Transportation. Bot Auto points out the economic advantage: operating costs of $1.89 per mile versus 3.78 with a driver, proving the commercial viability of technology.
Analyticalally:
A new chapter on road transport opens up in the US, with truck complete the first fully autonomous commercial cargo transport without any man in the vehicle.
ARTICLE SUMMARY
- An autonomous Bot Auto truck performed the first fully commercial transport to the US without human presence, covering 372 km in Texas during the night, in less than four hours.
- The choice of the night route highlights the ability of autonomous trucks to cover difficult shifts without restrictions of fatigue or hours, proving their commercial viability and profitability.
- Bot Auto displays financial advantages, as the cost of operating an autonomous truck (1.89 dollars/mill) is significantly lower than that with a driver (3.78 dollars/mill), enhancing the attractiveness of technology.
- The autonomous driving system has multiple safety levels and meets specifications, while analysts estimate that the transport of loads with autonomous vehicles is now in a phase of widespread commercial application.
The new-born Bot Auto company's truck made the trip on April 29 to Texas, covering a distance of about 372 km from the Houston to Hutchins area, south of Dallas, in less than four hours, and even during the night.
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No driver in
steering wheel of the truck, without human intervention
Unlike previous tests of autonomous vehicles, the particular route of the truck did not include either a safety driver, an observer in the cabin, or a remote operator.
As the company pointed out: «This route was not a demonstration. It was a commercial delivery, executed on a client's timeline, for a customer's cargo and to a client's warehouse».
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The load
transferred through Ryan Transportation, reaching its destination within
default time window.
From Houston
Dallas in the night
The autonomous truck moved along interstate highway 45, departing shortly after 01:00 in the morning and arriving before 05:00.
The choice of night
transport is not accidental: these routes are difficult to carry
are covered by drivers, as most prefer daily work. The
independent trucks, on the contrary, operate without restrictions of fatigue or hours.
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The business bet of «autonomous» truck
Bot Auto's founder and CEO, Xiaodi Hou, stressed the importance of the achievement: «I was told that the commercial use of autonomous driving in trucks still has a long way to go. This load is my answer. We did not just make a demonstration, but we created a business: freight on public roads, without a man in the cabin or remote driving, and - most importantly - with profit at every kilometre».
The company, founded in 2023, currently has a fleet of 12 trucks and serves more than 25 customers, applying a model "Trucking-as-a-Service".
Cost and
efficiency
According to
Company details, the cost of operating a truck without a driver
is about $1.89 per mile – significantly lower than the average
industry term ($2.26). Instead, using a driver increases the cost
$3.78 per mile.
This data
support the argument that autonomy is not just technological
innovation, but also economic advantage.
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Security and
next steps
Bot Auto points out that the autonomous driving system has multiple levels
Security and has been tested to meet federal and local
specifications. At the same time, the company has worked with the authorities on
creation of incident management protocols with autonomous vehicles.
Analyses
industry considers that the undertaking is not merely a test, but an indication that the transport
Loads with autonomous trucks are now in commercial application.
As the company notes: «The question is not
is now if autonomous cargo transport is possible, but who can
development on a large scale and in a sustainable way».
With the background of increasing demand for faster and more reliable transport, «experiment» Texas may be the beginning of a wider change in the global logistics industry.
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