International Motors and Ryder System are launching a joint autonomous truck pilot. Ryder is the first of International's customers to participate in the autonomous fleet trial program.
"In partnering with fleet customers to determine path-to-deployment, we're focused on integrating factory-ready virtual driver software into existing transport operations, without the need for dedicated autonomous terminals," says James Cooper, head of autonomous solutions at International. "The mission is to deliver a quality, OEM-validated solution to ensure our customers receive the reliability and value experience they trust from International."
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The truck will operate a daily, 600-mile route along the I-35 corridor between Laredo and Temple, Texas. It's a second-generation autonomous International LT truck equipped with factory-installed lidar, radar and cameras running on an S13 integrated powertrain and running AI-based SuperDrive autonomous driving software from PlusAI.
The pilot hopes to validate autonomous technology as part of an active long-haul logistics network, identify optimal use cases and near-term value proposition and gain operational feedback to finalize launch-ready product features.
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"For Ryder, this pilot represents an important step forward — moving beyond terminal- and maintenance-focused trials to evaluating autonomy in live operations," says Seth deVlugt, senior director of RyderVentures and new product strategy at Ryder. "The insights we gain here will help us further understand how autonomy could potentially be applied across portions of the supply chain."
Initial results from the trial are promising. They include 100% on-time delivery and 92% autonomous route coverage supervised by a human driver. The pre-trip inspection is below 30 minutes and the fleet reports improved fuel efficiency.
"As an OEM, our target is to provide our customers with an end-to-end solution including vehicles, digital solutions and operational support services, allowing customers to operate directly from their existing infrastructure and minimizing additional complexity," Cooper says. "Ryder's participation underscores our shared commitment to practical autonomous fleet deployment. Together, we're working to turn pilots into scalable commercial solutions."
