The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) and autonomous trucking technology company TuSimple are planning to provide service solutions for the tyre management, safety and operation of autonomous trucks via the Autonomous Freight Network (AFN).
AFN was launched in July in the US, aiming to provide reliable low-cost freight transportation throughout the lower states through the use of Level 4 autonomous trucks.
According to the multinational partners,the data collected through AFNwill provide a better idea of the difference in tyre longevity between an autonomous and human-driven vehicle, predict maintenance and potentially reduce the carbon footprint of fleets.
Robert Brown, Senior director external affairs, TuSimple, explained that autonomous trucks offer game-changing advantages for both shippers and fleets because of their increased capacity and near-continuous operation, “With this dramatic increase in truck utilisations comes the need to better understand predictive maintenance requirements.” Overall, the partnership with Goodyear is expected to enhance fleet support and ensure performance and safety of autonomous vehicles.