FedEx competing with Amazon in autonomous cargo delivery

FedEx will test self-driving vehicles for linehaul trucking operations.

The parcel delivery giant is kicking off a collaboration with autonomous technology developer Aurora and medium-and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer PACCAR to test Aurora’s autonomous driving technology in PACCAR autonomous vehicle platform (AVP)-equipped trucks within FedEx linehaul trucking operations that move cargo long-distance

This is an industry-first three-way collaboration between a logistics provider, autonomous technology developer, and a truck manufacturer. The pilot begins Wednesday, Sep. 22, and will run along FedEx’s Dallas-Houston parcel lanes, completing the nearly 500-mile round trip route multiple times each week.

The trucks will operate autonomously, with a backup driver for additional safety. Earlier in 2021, Aurora and PACCAR announced a strategic partnership to build and deploy autonomous trucks at scale.

CSA