SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TuSimple
(Nasdaq: TSP), a global autonomous driving technology company,
today announced that Union Pacific Railroad, the largest Class I
railroad in the U.S., will become the first customer to move
freight on TuSimple's fully-automated trucking route between the
Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona metro areas. Union Pacific is
leveraging Loup Logistics (Loup), a wholly-owned subsidiary, to
coordinate the freight shipment and support seamless movement
between rail and the critical first and last mile. Starting this
spring, TuSimple plans to carry Driver Out freight for Union
Pacific, utilizing groundbreaking AV (autonomous vehicle)
technology to deliver goods to their destination faster and more
cost-effectively.
![(PRNewsfoto/TuSimple) (PRNewsfoto/TuSimple)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1714976/TuSimple_Logo.jpg)
"Partnering with TuSimple allows us to extend our operations
beyond our rail hubs and serve our customers faster and more
efficiently," said Kenny Rocker,
Executive Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Union Pacific.
"This groundbreaking autonomous driving technology and our
partnership provide us a significant opportunity to scale the
technology in our network, proactively reducing global supply chain
congestion."
Building on its accomplishment of the world's first Driver Out
semi-truck run on December 22, 2021,
TuSimple is today reporting an additional six successful fully
autonomous runs. The seven total runs covered over 550 cumulative
miles on open public roads without a human in the vehicle, without
any teleoperation, and without any traffic intervention. Runs
were conducted in various roadway conditions, including dense
early-evening traffic and "back-to-back" runs on the same
night.
Going forward, TuSimple plans to continue its 'Driver Out'
program and progressively expand its scope to incorporate daytime
runs and new routes while making regular improvements to its
proprietary AV technology. By the end of 2023, TuSimple plans to
achieve commercial viability by initiating continuous 'Driver Out'
paid freight operations in a significant shipping area such as the
'Texas Triangle.'
"Our repeatable and scalable 'Driver Out' operations marks a
significant inflection point in our company's history. We are the
world's first to complete all of the features of AV trucking
technology," said Cheng Lu, President, and CEO, TuSimple. "We are
proud of our on-time delivery of this historic milestone and are
excited to shift our full focus to commercializing our
ground-breaking technology on an accelerated timeline."
TuSimple continues to advance autonomous freight lanes across
the sunbelt, making the movement of freight safe, fast, and
efficient. To scale its operations in preparation for a nationwide
expansion, the company recently provided technical specifications
to commercial real-estate developers to prepare for future
autonomous trucking operations, including a million square foot
state-of-the-art facility within a 27,000-square-acre development
as part of the AllianceTexas.
To date, TuSimple has over 11,000 unique mapped miles in its
Autonomous Freight Network and plans to continue to scale its
operations to support its distribution partners.
Videos of TuSimple's 'Driver Out' operations can be found
[here].
TuSimple's Safety Case for 'Driver Out' operations can be found
[here].
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and
businesses use every day with safe, reliable, and efficient
service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its
customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the
most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union
Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union
Pacific is available at www.up.com.
About TuSimple
TuSimple is a global autonomous driving technology company,
headquartered in San Diego,
California, with operations in Arizona, Texas, Europe, and China. Founded in 2015, TuSimple is developing
a commercial-ready, fully autonomous (SAE Level 4) driving solution
for long-haul heavy-duty trucks. TuSimple aims to transform the
$4 trillion global truck freight
industry through the company's leading AI technology, which makes
it possible for trucks to see 1,000 meters away, operate nearly
continuously, and reduce fuel consumption by 10%+ relative to
manually driven trucks. Visit us at www.tusimple.com.
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SOURCE TuSimple Holdings, Inc.