[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] TFI’s autonomous LTL linehaul logic is sound, analysts say Use of longer lanes seen benefiting economics of deployment Staff Reporter Key Takeaways: - TFI International plans to introduce autonomous Class 8 trucks in LTL linehaul operations in 2027 with an undisclosed technology developer. - Analysts said predictable highway routes favor automation, though cost-effectiveness depends on route length, freight volume, utilization and limited empty miles. - Saia emphasized safety applications, while Old Dominion questioned per-mile technology costs and said it would not lead autonomous truck investment. Plans by TFI International to initially roll out autonomous Class 8 trucks in its less-than-truckload linehaul operations are logical for a carrier with such ambitions, according to independent analysts. However, one prominent industry executive is skeptical about the cost-effectiveness of the application. TFI is working with an as-yet-undisclosed autonomous truck developer ahead of the technology’s introduction in LTL linehaul and then perhaps wider use, Chief Financial Officer David Saperstein told analysts during the carrier’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call July 27. The technology had improved a lot faster than the executive and his peers expected. It makes sense to start in linehaul, given the few touch points, multiple sources said. “This approach concentrates automation in the operating environment where it currently has the greatest advantages,” said Arman Sargolzaei, director of the University of South Florida’s Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems research group. “The terminal-to-terminal linehaul portion is particularly attractive because routes are predictable, frequently traveled and largely highway based,” he added. Sector Rankings LTL | TL/Dedicated Intermodal/Drayage Package/Courier | Air/Expedited Refrigerated | Flatbed/Heavy Tank/Bulk | Household/Commercial Montreal-based TFI, which ranks No. 6 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and whose LTL unit ranks No. 8 in