The Swedish furniture brand IKEA announced that self-driving trucks have been tested recently for deliveries. They partnered with Kodiak Robotics, an autonomous technology company, to transport furniture between distribution centers in Baytown and Frisco, California.
According to a press release from Kodiak, the partnership began in August and has self-driving trucks making deliveries seven days a week. The self-driving trucks still have a person on board for safety, but are driven by an automated system. The goal of the partnership is to learn how autonomous driving can help make roads safer and working conditions easier for truckers.
Don Burnette, CEO Founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics said that safety is the top priority. “Together we can enhance safety, improve working conditions for drivers, and create a more sustainable freight transportation system. Adopting autonomous trucking technology can improve drivers’ quality of life by focusing on the local driving jobs most prefer to do. We look forward to working with the IKEA carrier partners to bring these benefits to the IKEA supply chain,” said Burnette in the press release.
Kodiak also reports that their self-driving trucks are very fuel efficient, as they consume about 10% less fuel than manually driven diesel-fueled trucks.
View the Press Release from Kodiak.
