The United States Postal Service (USPS) does whatever it takes to deliver the 484.8 million pieces of mail it handles daily. In addition to the standard mail trucks, the USPS also uses prop planes, hovercrafts, mules, pilot boats, and snowmobiles to make deliveries. Now, they are adding another mode of transportation into the mix, self-driving trucks.
The USPS has begun experimenting with autonomous vehicles to make deliveries. They recently awarded TruSimple, a San Diego self-driving truck company, with a contract for a two-week pilot program. TruSimple will use their self-driving trucks to perform five round trips hauling USPS trailers.
These trips will cover 1,000 miles, moving between the postal service’s Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas distribution centers. The trucks will run for 22 hours each, including overnight trips along the highway. There will be a certified driver and safety engineer onboard the truck to handle any issues and take control if needed.
President of TruSimple, Dr. Xiaodi Hou, stated: "It is exciting to think that before many people will ride in a robo-taxi, their mail and packages may be carried in a self-driving truck. Performing for the USPS on this pilot in this particular commercial corridor gives us specific use cases to help us validate our system, and expedite the technological development and commercialization progress."
Although many in the trucking industry are hesitant about embracing self-driving trucks, fearing the loss of truck driving jobs, this could be a financial solution for the USPS. The United States Postal Service receives no tax dollars and has reported a loss every year for over a decade. Self-driving trucks could help ease the financial burden the service faces.
The trucking industry is also in the midst of a truck driver shortage. Long-haul drivers are in particular demand. The transportation industry has been trying to come up with solutions to address this issue. In the US, there is a bill on the table to lower the age restriction on cross-state drivers and in Ontario, the trucking industry is now able to hire foreign workers. It seems the USPS is testing out another solution - using robots to fill the gaps left by the driver shortage.
The USPS is dedicated to delivering the country’s mail, no matter the geography, weather, or personnel limitations. Adding self-driving trucks to their already diverse portfolio of transportation modes is only fitting. Although the transportation industry may be concerned, it’s unlikely that robots will replace humans as truck drivers any time soon.
If you’re interested in a career in trucking, please contact TRAFFIX or visit our online job listings.
