Autonomous Trucks On USPS Test Run

TuSimple, a San Diego-based self-driving truck company, announced on Tuesday that the United States Postal Service will be a test bed for a first-ever, long-haul regular delivery route across state lines.

Autonomous trucks on USPS test run

Great article. It will be interesting to see what happens with this. I understand the perceived benefits of self driving trucks but I'm still skeptical for 100% self driving. Interstate driving doesnt seem like too much of a problem but the local roads and 2 lane highways is where I think they will have most problems. Far too often we see drivers talk about the pickle they get in due to following GPS and surely that's what the truck is using. It's possible for a programmer to input a set route but many times accidents or construction may cause a last second detour. Sometimes the only way past an accident is driving partially on the shoulder, would these trucks use the shoulder or would they come to a halt and throw error codes. This is the first step of a long journey in my opinion.

I just keep getting stuck that the company is named "Too Simple"

I live in Phoenix, the city where many of the TuSimple autonomous truck trips originate. So, I emailed the company with a request to do a ride-along. They replied and said they are not doing media ride-alongs just yet, but I'm definitely being considered when they begin to offer that.

It will be extremely interesting to experience an autonomous vehicle ride first hand. I have a million questions to ask the "drivers" as well. I'll keep everyone posted when to expect an expanded article on the experience.

I hope it goes better than the time I did a media ride-along in a KC-135 tanker doing a refueling. On the way back they did a bunch of touch-and-go landings just for me. I would have been just fine with just the first one, losing-breakfast-wise.

Dave that would be a wonderful experience and I'd love to hear about it if you're lucky enough to receive it. It would be nice to hear from somebody who seen it first hand and isn't associated with the company so it puts any question of just being propaganda out the window.

I hope it goes better than the time I did a media ride-along in a KC-135 tanker doing a refueling. On the way back they did a bunch of touch-and-go landings just for me. I would have been just fine with just the first one, losing-breakfast-wise.

If it doesnt go better please no pictures!

I’ll start to worry about it when loves stops putting up new stops. With all the new locations they are putting up they must not think it’s gonna happen anytime soon. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. They might get some self driving trucks in the next 20 years but this is a diverse industry that they can’t replace everybody. Flatbed, hazmat , oversize, even local can’t be self driving.

If these trucks have to carry a human back-up driver in case anything goes wrong, what's the point?

I'm in no way suprised to see the Postal Service being the testbed for this. They are looking for any way possible to eliminate human workers. They also tested using the Segways for letter carriers, that didnt go too well though. Although the claim that driverless trucks can detect and react to situations faster than humans may be true I believe the human can choose the RIGHT reaction to the situation detected better and more often than the computer system, especially if all of the auto braking and false obstacles detected by our current trucks are anything like what driverless use. I believe current driverless cars still have trouble detecting motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians as well. Idk, seems like a long way off to me.

As a former victim of Postal Hell.... I can emphatically state it will fail. All postal "innovations" fail.

What makes me laugh is... If i called out due to road closures and a state wide emergency caused by a blizzard... I was threatened to be charged with "Purposely delaying the mail" ... a Federal Offense.

So what happens if the trucks screw up the mail? who goes to jail. hahahha

As a former victim of Postal Hell.... I can emphatically state it will fail. All postal "innovations" fail.

What makes me laugh is... If i called out due to road closures and a state wide emergency caused by a blizzard... I was threatened to be charged with "Purposely delaying the mail" ... a Federal Offense.

So what happens if the trucks screw up the mail? who goes to jail. hahahha

Yeah, that's right! And what happens if one of those trucks go postal?