Pilot Travel Centers Explores Accommodating Self-Driving Trucks
fliptop writes:
One of the largest operators of roadside travel centers has invested in startup Kodiak Robotics:
Pilot Travel Centers LLC, one of the largest operators of roadside travel centers in North America, said it made an equity investment in self-driving trucking startup Kodiak Robotics Inc. and is partnering with the company to incorporate services for autonomous trucks at one of its travel centers. The initiative is the latest example of how legacy transportation companies are positioning themselves to take advantage of autonomous trucking technology if it becomes mainstream.
The services Pilot is aiming to implement include dedicated spaces for autonomous trucks to pick up and drop off cargo loads and streamlined access to fuel pumps. The parties are also exploring adding server hardware located at stations that could transfer and process large amounts of data collected by autonomous trucks, Kodiak Co-founder and Chief Executive Don Burnette said.
Only one Pilot station in the Atlanta area will initially be retrofitted with the services, but will serve as a model for potential future expansions, Pilot said. The company said it doesn't have a target for how many stations could eventually incorporate autonomous trucking services.
Experts predict self-driving freight vehicles will become widely available before autonomous passenger cars reach the roads because their routes can be more predictable and easily managed. Originally spotted on The Eponymous Pickle.
[If the original link is down, try the alternative: Truck Stop Operator Explores Accommodating Self-Driving Trucks, and there is more reporting on the topic at Driverless Long Hauls, Digital Freight: The Trucking Tech That Can't Come Fast Enough --JR]
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