The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is experimenting with self-driving trucks to move mail across state lines. The USPS has partnered with San Diego-based TuSimple on a two-week pilot program focusing solely on a 1,000-mile route between Dallas and Phoenix.
Aim of the project:
The program aims to accommodate a diverse mail mix, enhance safety, improve service, reduce emissions, and produce operational savings.
Reason for the self drive trucks:
Having humans in the driver seat, actually doing the driving, on long-distance routes like the one being tested is challenging because it's 22 hours in one direction, requires teams of drivers and it's very hard to recruit drivers into this kind of run.
Test runs on trucks:
The test runs will help the Postal Service become future-ready.
It will involve five round trips, traveling major interstates that cross Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Each truck will have a "safety engineer" and driver on board for the duration of the pilot to monitor vehicle performance and to ensure public safety.
Future plans:
The Postal Service also has ideas for using self-driving vehicles for home delivery, perhaps using vehicles that follow behind a mail carrier who walks a route. It is unclear how much the pilot program will cost.