Paccar tests self-driving trucks

Paccar (the parent company of DAF) and FedEx have begun an extensive field test in the US with self-driving trucks. The Peterbilts will be driven on the route between Dallas and Houston – a journey of around 400 km. The self-driving technology has been jointly developed by Paccar and Aurora with the aim of improving road safety and transport efficiency.

At the start of the year, Paccar teamed up with Aurora, a leading American technology firm that specialises in self-driving technologies. Now FedEx – one of the world’s largest transport and logistics companies – has decided to join the partnership as well. It marks the first collaboration between a truck manufacturer, a self-driving technology developer and a logistics enterprise.

Driving on regular highways

The self-driving trucks will transport goods for FedEx between Dallas and Houston on public highways, including on one of the most important routes in the southern states: the I-45. Although the Peterbilts will be perfectly capable of driving themselves, there will also be a driver in the cabin who can take control of the truck at any moment, thus guaranteeing road safety at all times.

“Paccar is delighted to be working on this innovative project together with renowned companies like FedEx and Aurora,” says John Rich, Paccar’s chief technology officer. “The decision by FedEx to join the project is proof of the enormous progress Paccar and Aurora have made in the development of self-driving trucks.”