DHL Supply Chain is the first fleet customer to pilot a new hub-to-hub autonomous transport offering from Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS). The solution is designed to serve shippers, carriers, logistics service providers, and freight brokers.
VAS, in collaboration with Aurora, has been working on a technical solution to offer autonomous trucks in the U.S. while also developing a complete transport-as-a-service (TaaS) solution for integrated and scalable autonomous freight capacity for highway applications. The autonomous transport solution will be configured to different customer-segment requirements to transport freight autonomously on major U.S. highway networks.
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“Today, the increasing demand for freight is outgrowing capacity and solutions must be bolder, safer, smarter and more sustainable to move the world forward,” said Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “This is more than an autonomous truck—it is the Autonomous Transport Solution, which we believe will create value for the entire transportation ecosystem, all with optimized operations that reduce emissions and increase safety.”
This is the first step in positioning a dedicated North American operation that is rooted in global experience with autonomous technology applications, Volvo said in a release.
DHL and the Volvo Group have a long history of working together, and this new collaboration will help pave the way for VAS’s logistics service providers customer segment. The future deployment of the Class 8 Volvo VNL autonomous trucks will be DHL’s first TaaS operation globally.
“DHL is excited to partner with a leading-edge transportation company in Volvo Autonomous Solutions. We are full-speed-ahead on the adoption of the next wave of transportation solutions including autonomous trucks and confident that global leaders like Volvo will help to accelerate their development,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president, transportation, DHL Supply Chain North America. “We see huge potential in advanced technology solutions like autonomous trucks to address the needs of our customers around efficiency, reliability, and increased capacity, which only hastened during the pandemic. But our collaboration aims higher than an autonomous truck—we hope our partnership with Volvo will help shape a safer and more sustainable future for all.”
“We are built on the conviction that we can address the constraints the transportation industry faces and contribute to building a better society by offering scalable, autonomous freight capacity that can unlock new ways to move goods,” said Sasko Cuklev, head of on-road solutions for Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
“Volvo Autonomous Solutions is proud to partner with DHL, who we see as a world class transportation company with shared culture and vision of innovation and sustainability. Together we want to lead the way in the ongoing transformation that is taking place within the industry, and we will look beyond just exploring new technologies on the truck itself to ensure we develop new solutions and ways of working for the entire transportation ecosystem.”
