Automated trucks have become a key part of the Port of Felixstowe’s operations since it became the first port in Europe to deploy the technology in a mixed traffic environment. In the past 12 months, the port, which currently has 34 autonomous trucks, has used the vehicles to move more than 140,000 containers from the cranes which removes the load from ships to a yard crane which stacks them on the port before they are taken away by hauliers. The vehicles are fully electric and emissions-free as the port has used only electricity certified as being from renewable sources since April 2023, supporting its ambition to achieve net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035. “For a port, the case for autonomous vehicles almost writes itself,” says Benjamin Gaunt, senior project manager at Westwell, which manufacturers and supplies the trucks. “Firstly, ports are quite a harsh and hazardous environment; containers are moved at height and there’s heavy machinery moving around all of the time. “It’s highly repetitive and it’s high volume. It’s also extremely high pressure. If one of our trucks stop, it can potentially halt the port. It certainly slows the port down, slows the cranes down and delay the vessels. “These trucks are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week in mixed traffic, interacting with external hauliers who come to the port every day, as well as the port’s own tractor fleet. “It’s a brilliant use case for autonomy.” The trucks use a 360-degree industrial grade binocular camera and 128-line Lidar as sensors. Each truck also features interactive light signals and audiovisual alerts to communicate driving intentions clearly to human drivers, significantly reducing collision risks. Batteries on the autonomous trucks are changed at an automated battery swap station. The facility allows them to exchange