Congress has sensibly added provisions to the latest highway bill that would prohibit states from banning or regulating autonomous trucks if they are demonstrated to meet safety standards.
This will mean cheaper everything because of much mower costs for longhaul transportation. It will also mean far fewer fatalities, accidents and traffic delays – although it could eventually displace hundreds of thousands of truck drivers. That displacement is a real political challenge, but an economic and productivity boom. We commend Congress for embracing rather than fighting the future on technology and human welfare.
Jun 5, 2026 · via committeetounleashprosperity.com
Analysis Trucking’s Window of Opportunity The coming restructuring of US motor carrier logistics “If you got it, a truck brought it.” In this concise manner did Jimmy Hoffa once characterize the economic significance of the trucking industry and the potential power that could result from organizing it. According to the US Census and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, of the roughly $18 trillion worth of commodities transported in the United States in 2022, about $14 trillion traveled by truck at some point. Highways are the primary circulatory system of the American economy, with rail, water, and air transportation playing only subsidiary roles. As Hoffa well understood, the ubiquity of trucking since its emergence in the early twentieth century has offered great structural power to the truckers and warehouse workers in that industry. Making good use of secondary boycotts, made illegal with the Taft-Hartley amendments to the National Labor Relations Act in 1947, as well as tactics of more straightforward illegality, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) achieved roughly 90 percent union density in long-haul trucking by the 1950s. Hoffa proudly told Life magazine in 1959 that, if he wanted to, he could “bring a major portion of U.S. transportation—and thus the entire economy—to a halt.” Yet by 1994, when Teamsters president Ron Carey called a strike against all of the companies covered under the National Master Freight Agreement, the Los Angeles Times noted that “the public hardly noticed.” (The strike was more effective than the Times implies, but the resulting contract was a mixed bag.) Hoffa had used Teamster power to organize the National Master Freight Agreement in 1964, but in 1980 Congress deregulated trucking, breaking the union’s role in regulating the industry and ushering in an era of rapidly declining union density in the sector that matched the declining
Jun 5, 2026 · via phenomenalworld.org
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Jun 5, 2026 · via youtube.com
A Dallas County deputy constable jumped behind the wheel of a stopped empty Waymo autonomous vehicle last week to clear a path for incoming fire trucks responding to a deadly apartment explosion in Oak Cliff. The incident occurred on May 28 shortly after a powerful natural gas explosion and five-alarm fire destroyed much of The Clyde apartment complex in the 1200 block of South Polk Street. Dallas County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable Jonathan Banda encountered the Waymo vehicle stopped and blocking the roadway as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Body camera footage released Thursday shows Banda urging the vehicle to move before contacting support and then manually driving it aside after it was unlocked remotely. The blast killed three people and injured at least five others, with additional residents initially reported missing. Over 115 firefighters battled the blaze, which left many families displaced. Dallas Fire-Rescue and other agencies responded to the scene in the heart of Oak Cliff. Banda and fellow Deputy Constable Vincent DeLuna were among the first officers on scene. The quick actions helped ensure fire trucks with needed hoses could access the burning building. No injuries were reported from the Waymo incident itself. The explosion is under investigation, with authorities pointing to a natural gas leak. Atmos Energy has been involved in the response. The event has renewed questions about autonomous vehicle operations during emergencies in Dallas, where Waymo has expanded its driverless fleet. LISTEN on the Audacy App Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD" Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Jun 5, 2026 · via audacy.com
Slate opened pre-orders for its all-electric Slate EV truck, with configurations and non-refundable US$300 deposits launching on June 24. The vehicle is built around a minimalist "Blank Slate" concept, featuring a stripped-down base model with heating and air conditioning while allowing buyers to customize the truck through an extensive catalog of optional accessories. The platform offers more than 100 add-ons, including power windows, roof racks, stereo systems and an SUV conversion kit expected to cost around US$5,000. Slate previously promoted a starting price of about US$20,000 based on the availability of a federal EV tax credit, but now estimates pricing will begin in the mid-US$20,000 range following the removal of that incentive. Final pricing will be revealed during the configuration process. For consumers, the Slate truck offers a modular approach to vehicle ownership that separates core transportation from optional features, allowing buyers to customize cost and functionality. The launch reflects growing interest in configurable EV platforms that prioritize affordability and personalization over fully equipped standard models. Budget-Friendly Electric Trucks Slate Opens Pre-Orders For Its Slate EV Truck Trend Themes - Modular EV Ownership — Configurable vehicle platforms separate essential transportation from premium features, creating space for lower upfront prices and ongoing accessory-based revenue models. - Minimalist Mobility Design — Stripped-down electric trucks reflect a shift toward utility-first design, where simplicity, affordability, and personalization challenge feature-heavy automotive norms. - Accessory-driven Customization — A large catalog of add-ons turns vehicle ownership into a flexible product ecosystem, expanding personalization beyond the initial purchase decision. Industry Implications - Electric Vehicles — Budget-focused EV models broaden market access by prioritizing core functionality over fully loaded configurations, pressuring manufacturers to rethink standard equipment strategies. - Automotive Aftermarket — Modular trucks with factory-supported accessories blur the line between original equipment and aftermarket upgrades, opening new value streams
Jun 5, 2026 · via trendhunter.com
James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and trucknews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on X at @JamesMenzies. Have your say This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances. We have changed the way we showcase trucks and trailers available for sale – and now send the details right to your email inbox. Simply click here to subscribe to our bi-weekly HD Hotlist for the listings. We use cookies to make your website experience better. By accepting this notice and continuing to browse our website you confirm you accept our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Have your say This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
Jun 5, 2026 · via trucknews.com
Hundreds of truckers speak out against driverless truck exemption The autonomous trucking industry seeks an exemption that could pave the way for thousands of driverless trucks to hit the roads over the next five years. However, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and hundreds of individual truckers are telling federal regulators to reject the request. Aurora Operations wants the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to approve a five-year exemption from a regulation requiring truck drivers to place warning devices around the truck when stopped on a highway shoulder. Specifically, Aurora is asking to use a set of cab-mounted warning beacons instead of having a person deploy warning triangles around the truck. If granted, the exemption would apply to Aurora and other motor carriers operating Level 4 automated commercial motor vehicles. OOIDA, which represents small-business truckers, has been busy rallying truck drivers to oppose Aurora’s exemption. “Self-driving trucking fleets are seeking an exemption from warning device regulations to remove human operators from trucks,” OOIDA wrote on its Fighting For Truckers website. “Tell FMCSA NO!” As of press time in early May, FMCSA had received nearly 300 comments about Aurora’s request. Many of the comments came from truck drivers telling the agency that the exemption would be bad for safety. “Granting an exemption for external warning devices would be dangerous for other road users,” Marlena Ross wrote. “There is no plan for warning drivers when broken down close to a curve in the road. Other drivers will not be given adequate warning, even when the equipment is fully functioning. That is not a suitable replacement for triangles or flares, because it does not cover all the required scenarios. Exemptions for safety equipment should not be for convenience and should involve a comprehensive alternative.” Others said that there is no alternative to a well-trained
Jun 4, 2026 · via landline.media
Why it Matters A Reuters investigation published May 28 found that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving safety data relies on flawed methodology and that internal AI trainers said they would not ride in a Tesla robotaxi, just 12 days before the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety hearing on how new technology is reshaping transportation. The Tuesday, June 9 hearing arrives as self-driving trucks remain confined to pilot programs, EV tax credits have been repealed at the federal level, and commercial deals like Wayve's integration into Stellantis vehicles signal that AI-driven autonomy is approaching mass-market reality. The Big Picture A May 7 New York Times report captured the central tension: fully autonomous vehicles still aren't for sale, robotaxis operate in only a handful of cities, and self-driving trucks haven't moved beyond controlled pilot projects, years after the industry projected widespread deployment. On the freight side, which falls squarely within the subcommittee's surface transportation and freight pipeline jurisdiction, the stalled progress on autonomous trucking carries real economic stakes. Supply chain efficiency, labor markets, and highway safety are all implicated. A Commerce Committee hearing focused on transportation innovation gives members a structured opportunity to press on what regulatory conditions are needed to responsibly advance the technology — and what guardrails are missing. The federal rollback of EV incentives adds another dimension. The Zero Emission Vehicle tax credit was repealed for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to announce a $1 billion state rebate program for electric trucks and framing the move as a direct response to federal retreat. The resulting state-federal divergence on clean transportation technology is a live fault line that the Senate transportation policy debate has yet to fully address. Autonomous Vehicles Move Faster Than Oversight Even as the regulatory framework remains
Jun 4, 2026 · via legis1.com
Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Boliden have completed the autonomous transport project at Boliden’s Garpenberg site in Sweden. The project was the first step under the memorandum of understanding signed between Volvo and Boliden in 2023, and it marks an important milestone in a collaboration that also includes future projects. As a part of the project, material was moved from an on-site quarry on Boliden premises and used to reinforce a local dam and heighten the dam wall. In total, close to 700,000 tonnes of rock fill material were transported autonomously – roughly equivalent to 280 Olympic swimming pools, or the combined weight of around 100 Eiffel Towers. Volvo’s autonomous haulage system ran more than 11,000 transport cycles covering 56,000 kilometers. Ingo Stuermer, CTO at VAS, says: “Autonomy has clear benefits for the mining industry, especially when it comes to removing people from hazardous environments and improving the safety and efficiency of operations. “With more than 700,000 tonnes transported at Garpenberg, we have demonstrated that autonomous haulage works at scale, in real conditions and in real customer operations.” Rikard Mäki, head of electrification and automation, Boliden, says: “We are very pleased to reach the 700 000 milestone of autonomous transports at our tailings facility in Garpenberg. “Of course, we will continue to seek safe and productive solutions in partnership, with the aim of developing world-leading mining operations.” The solution deployed at Garpenberg is Autona / earth, Volvo Autonomous Solutions’ offering for mines and quarries. Autona / earth combines the autonomous Volvo FH for mining with Volvo’s in-house developed virtual driver, infrastructure, operational support and maintenance needed to run autonomous transport. Delivered as transport-as-a-service, Autona / earth integrates autonomous technology into customer’s existing operations, with VAS managing the technical complexity and regulatory compliance required for deployment. The completion of the Garpenberg project
Jun 4, 2026 · via roboticsandautomationnews.com
Catalyst Kodiak AI has done what most autonomous vehicle companies are still promising: it is running fully driverless, commercially-paid trucks with no safety driver in the Permian Basin today, for Atlas Energy Solutions. That is not a pilot — Atlas has placed an initial order for 100 trucks, with 8 currently operating up to 24/7. The company also holds U.S. Marine Corps contracts and partnerships with Bosch and Verizon.[youtube +1] The catalyst I am betting on is simple: the market is still pricing KDK as a pre-revenue AV startup, when it is already past the hardest technical milestone. As the truck count scales from single digits toward the low hundreds over 2026–2027, each new vehicle adds nearly pure software-margin revenue (target: ~60–80% gross margin on the Driver-as-a-Service fee), which should reprice the stock significantly off today’s sub-$1.5B valuation. --- Assumptions • Revenue growth: ~180% in FY2026, reaching approximately $15–20M as the Atlas fleet ramps and new customers onboard. This is below management’s own projections but above a flat-deployment scenario. If trucks scale toward 200 by end-2026, the per-mile DaaS fee (~$0.97/mile) makes this math achievable. • Gross margin: 30–40% near-term, improving toward 60%+ as the hardware integration cost per truck declines with volume. Today margins are negative (hardware cost + remote ops + R&D per truck). The inflection comes when the installed base is large enough that incremental miles cost almost nothing to support. • PE/multiple: not applicable yet (pre-profit). I value this on a Price-to-Sales basis, assigning a 10–15x forward revenue multiple in 2027, consistent with early-stage, high-growth SaaS/autonomy platforms that have demonstrated commercial traction. At $60M 2027 revenue (200+ trucks, full-year contribution), that implies a fair value of $600M–$900M in equity — below today’s price, which is why position sizing matters more than conviction here. --- Risks The
Jun 4, 2026 · via simplywall.st
Soldiers may soon be doing a bit less pack hauling as the US Department of Defense taps American Rheinmetall and Harbinger to develop a new generation of stealthy, inexpensive, and expendable robotic trucks designed to carry cargo to the battlefield. We live in a time of tremendous technological change, to the point where it's easy to think the human condition is on the verge of being transformed. However, spending a few days with an infantry unit can quickly dispel that notion, as soldiers continue to do what they have always done: haul supplies across broken, muddy terrain through sheer muscle power. Today's armies are logistical marvels, with each combat platoon representing the sharp tip of a very long supply spear. Despite militaries operating support networks that rival commercial systems in scale and often exceed them in speed, there inevitably comes a point where all the ships, aircraft, helicopters, trucks, and railways in the world must give way to soldiers manually carrying boxes and bales to the front line. In the hope of narrowing this gap and leaving soldiers better rested, military planners are increasingly turning to robotics. Self-driving trucks have existed for more than 20 years, though their use has largely been limited to convoys overseen by small human crews. The goal now is to create a new family of cargo vehicles capable of carrying materiel while operating within the demands of modern warfare. The new family of vehicles is being developed under a modernization contract, with American Rheinmetall responsible for combat vehicle integration, modular architecture, adaptable mission-kit interfaces, and mission systems engineering. Harbinger will provide its commercially derived drive-by-wire hybrid-electric vehicle chassis and advanced electrification technologies. The aim of the project is to rapidly develop mass-producible, affordable, and attritable robotic platforms for combat, logistics, and sustainment operations. Initial efforts
Jun 4, 2026 · via newatlas.com
The Self-Driving Car Story Started Earlier Than You Think Decades before Waymo and Tesla, a Mercedes van used cameras and computers to drive itself down the autobahn. Tesla may be widely associated with its very public quest to automate driving, but the origin of self-driving cars goes back to before the Silicon Valley startup even existed. A Mercedes drove autonomously on public highways for 1,000 miles between Germany and Denmark—sometimes at autobahn speeds—back in 1995. Before that, in 1987, Ernst Dickmanns’ VaMoRs research vehicle drove itself down an unopened stretch of autobahn using cameras, onboard computers, and automated control of the steering, throttle, and brakes. It reached 60 mph, covered more than 12 miles, and did so with less computing power than your smartwatch has. The first true experimental semi-autonomous car is even older, though. In 1977, the Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Laboratory in Japan made an early vision-guided autonomous test vehicle. It used images from two onboard cameras and followed guide features on the road. It was primitive and slow, but it drove autonomously (albeit in a controlled, structured environment) using on-board tech. We try not to throw around the terms “self-driving” and “autonomous” too liberally here, simply because most consumer-facing systems are not actually legally capable of driving themselves. These vehicles still exist on a spectrum somewhere between basic driver assistance and genuinely driverless autonomy, with most of today’s systems still much closer to helping a human drive than replacing one entirely. Today’s robotaxis didn’t appear out of the blue, and it’s not just Tesla that deserves credit for hastening its arrival. It’s a collection of experiments carried out over the years, many of which were way ahead of their time, each building toward an end goal: Making a car that can see its surroundings, understand what it sees,
Jun 4, 2026 · via insideevs.com
A recent study by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) found that the UK logistics industry will require 40,000 new HGV drivers annually for the next five years, due to growing demand and possible future driver shortages. Although operators and training companies are having success bringing through new recruits, the development of autonomous commercial vehicles offers a potential solution to ease the problem. Proponents of driverless vehicles say they offer a route to higher utilisation, reduced labour dependency and improved efficiency that could deliver transformational cost savings and productivity gains. Last month, eFREIGHT Autonomous, a consortium of experts in commercial vehicles and automotive technology, published the findings of a nine-month long study into the emerging technology. The report identified hub-to-hub motorway trunking between logistics centres, as well as short intermodal shuttle operations linking ports, railheads and distribution hubs, as the most viable starting points for early UK deployment. According to the consortium, these operations provide the clearest commercial and operational pathway because routes are predictable, interfaces can be controlled and benefits can be measured around productivity, utilisation, safety and emissions. Sir Vince Cable, Chair of the eFREIGHT Autonomous Consortium, said: “The UK now has a genuine opportunity to help shape the future of autonomous freight rather than simply importing solutions developed elsewhere. “The next step is to move from feasibility work towards structured real-world deployment trials.” Led by Voltempo, alongside Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks, the consortium secured funding in 2025 through the UK Government-backed CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies competition delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic. Since then, it has carried out workshops, seminars and customer visits with operators across the freight sector, while engaging with every major European truck manufacturer, alongside the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Business and Trade, Transport Scotland, Logistics UK, the Road Haulage
Jun 4, 2026 · via smmt.co.uk
Volvo–Boliden autonomous tailings haulage: design and safety notes for mine engineers Reviewed by Joe Ashwell First reported on International Mining – News 30 Second Briefing Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Boliden have completed an autonomous haulage project for tailings dam construction at the Garpenberg zinc mine in Sweden, the first deliverable under their 2023 memorandum of understanding. Volvo’s autonomous haul trucks operated on a defined haul road between the open pit and the tailings facility, integrating with existing conventional fleets and site traffic management. The trial provides data on cycle times, berm and ramp design, and interaction rules needed to scale autonomous haulage for future dam lifts and other overburden movements on Boliden sites. Technical Brief - Volvo Autonomous Solutions deployed its in-house autonomous drive stack on Volvo-branded haul units for the trial. - Boliden’s Garpenberg operation used the project to validate autonomous haulage specifically for tailings dam lift construction. - Mixed-traffic interaction rules were co-developed by Volvo and Boliden safety teams for shared haul routes. - Site procedures were updated so conventional operators received specific training on autonomous vehicle right-of-way and exclusion zones. - Volvo’s remote supervision concept was tested, with operators overseeing multiple autonomous units from a control room environment. - Safety case development focused on predictable vehicle behaviour on constrained dam embankments and narrow haul ramps. - Outcomes are intended to inform standardised autonomous haulage safety protocols for future overburden and tailings movements. Our Take Volvo Autonomous Solutions’ work with Boliden at Garpenberg in Sweden sits alongside its fully autonomous haulage at Brønnøy Kalk’s Velfjord limestone mine in Norway (23 March 2026 article), signalling that the Volvo FH autonomous platform is now being proven across both production hauling and infrastructure tasks in Nordic hard‑rock environments. Series assembly of Volvo FH Autonomous trucks at Volvo Buses’ Säffle plant in
Jun 4, 2026 · via geomechanics.io
Epiroc LinkOA AHS quarry order: autonomy retrofit takeaways for mine planners Reviewed by Tom Sullivan First reported on International Mining – News 30 Second Briefing Epiroc has secured an order from Heidelberg Materials to deploy its LinkOA autonomous haulage system on driverless haul trucks at an Australian quarry, extending the platform from large open-pit mines into the quarrying and aggregates sector. The project will adapt LinkOA’s mine-proven fleet management, collision avoidance and traffic control capabilities to shorter haul cycles, tighter geometries and mixed-traffic quarry conditions. For quarry operators, this signals accelerating interest in OEM-agnostic autonomy retrofits on existing haul fleets to cut operating costs and manage labour constraints. Technical Brief - LinkOA deployment will retrofit autonomy onto existing haul trucks rather than requiring new fleets. - System integration must accommodate quarry-specific loading, dumping and crusher-feed layouts and traffic patterns. - Epiroc’s scope includes adapting collision-avoidance and traffic-control logic to mixed-use quarry haul roads. - Implementation at a quarry provides a testbed under strict local safety and regulatory requirements. - OEM-agnostic design allows future expansion to different truck brands within the wider fleet. - Data from autonomous cycles will feed into production planning and cost-optimisation workflows. - Successful deployment could inform autonomy rollouts across global aggregates operations, beyond this initial site. Our Take The related 1 May 2026 piece on Heidelberg Materials’ global rollout of autonomous heavy mobile equipment suggests this Epiroc AB order is part of a multi‑site, multi‑vendor autonomy strategy rather than a one‑off deployment in Australia. Applied Intuition’s work with Heidelberg Materials at Clarence Sands in New South Wales, reported on 30 April 2026, indicates that the LinkOA AHS order will have to coexist or integrate with other autonomy stacks, which will matter for fleet management, safety cases and long‑term vendor lock‑in. Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted
Jun 4, 2026 · via geomechanics.io
Volvo, Boliden move 700,000 tonnes autonomously at Swedish mine Volvo Autonomous Solutions and mining company Boliden have completed an autonomous transport project at Boliden’s Garpenberg site in Sweden, moving nearly 700,000 tonnes of rock fill material without drivers. The material was hauled from an on-site quarry and used to reinforce a local dam and raise the dam wall. Volvo said its autonomous haulage system completed more than 11,000 transport cycles and covered 56,000 km (34,797 miles) during the project. The work was the first step under a memorandum of understanding signed by Volvo and Boliden in 2023, and the companies say it lays the groundwork for future collaboration. “Autonomy has clear benefits for the mining industry, especially when it comes to removing people from hazardous environments and improving the safety and efficiency of operations,” said Ingo Stuermer, chief technology officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “With more than 700,000 tonnes transported at Garpenberg, we have demonstrated that autonomous haulage works at scale, in real conditions and in real customer operations.” The Garpenberg project used Autona/earth, Volvo Autonomous Solutions’ offering for mines and quarries. The system combines autonomous Volvo FH trucks for mining with Volvo’s in-house virtual driver, infrastructure, operational support and maintenance. The offering is delivered as Transport-as-a-Service, with Volvo Autonomous Solutions managing the technical and regulatory elements needed for deployment. “We are very pleased to reach the 700,000 milestone of autonomous transports at our tailings facility in Garpenberg,” said Rikard Mäki, head of electrification and automation at Boliden. “Of course, we will continue to seek safe and productive solutions in partnership, with the aim of developing world-leading mining operations.” Have your say This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking
Jun 4, 2026 · via trucknews.com
Why Truck Accidents Are Climbing in 2026 - and What You Can Do About It Truck crashes rose 9-12% in 2026 because longer driver hours, aging fleets, heavier loads, distracted invehicle tech, and fragmented subcontracting eroded safety and accountability. You should insist on strict hours limits, measurable safety training, telematics monitoring, pre/post-trip checklists, and standardized cargo and weight controls. Brokers and prime carriers must be held to clear contract and training standards, while regulators speed usableinterface and loadenforcement rules. Keep going to see specific actions you can implement now. Why Truck Crashes Rose in 2026: 6 Key Drivers Because freight volumes and driver shortages shifted in 2026, you're seeing a measurable uptick in severe truck crashes: preliminary federal and state data show a 9-12% rise in fatal and serious-injury incidents year-over-year, driven by six interrelated factors-extended driver hours, aging fleets, distracted driving, regulatory lag on automated systems, infrastructure stress, and worsening weather patterns-each of which warrants targeted policy and operational responses. You need to prioritize mitigating driver fatigue through stricter hours-of-service enforcement and fatigue-detection technologies. Replace high-mileage trucks to reduce mechanical failures and analyze telematics to curb distracted driving. Update regulatory frameworks for partial automation to close liability gaps. Invest in resilient infrastructure and climate-adaptive design. Finally, quantify impacts on insurance costs to align premiums with demonstrated risk reductions. Freight, Subcontracting, and Driver Experience in 2026 Truck Crashes The six drivers above interact directly with how freight is brokered and delivered: in 2026, growing loads shifted toward subcontracting chains that obscure who actually bears operational control, and that structure correlates with higher crash severity. You should note data showing fleets using multi-tier subcontracting had 28% higher severe-crash rates; less-experienced drivers concentrated in those tiers. Policy changes that mandate transparent contracts, minimum driver training standards, and clear lines of operational control
Jun 4, 2026 · via bignewsnetwork.com
Epiroc wins order for LinkOA, extending its autonomous haulage system to aggregates sector Stockholm, Sweden: Epiroc AB, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has won an order from Heidelberg Materials, one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of heavy building materials and solutions, to adapt and implement autonomous solutions for driverless haul trucks at a quarry in Australia. The deployment extends Epiroc’s award-winning autonomous solution LinkOA beyond mining to include the aggregates sector. The proof-of-concept project will demonstrate how automation can be applied in mid-scale quarry operations, where design variability and more complex conditions compared to more standardized surface mining operations have traditionally limited adoption of automation. “We are proud to partner with Heidelberg Materials to support them on their autonomous journey,” says Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO. “Our LinkOA system is already a proven mining automation technology, and with this project we look forward to bringing the same productivity and safety benefits to the aggregates sector.” The order follows Epiroc’s crucial role in creating the world’s largest OEM-agnostic and fully autonomous mine, Roy Hill in Australia, using LinkOA. The parties have agreed not to disclose the order value. Heidelberg Materials announced recently that it is “working closely with established technology partners” to ramp up the use of autonomous heavy mobile equipment globally, aiming to reach around 30 autonomous vehicles this year and more than 100 by the end of 2028. As one of Heidelberg Materials’ technology partners, Epiroc will deploy LinkOA for some of the company’s Komatsu HD605 haul trucks, which will also interact with loaders and auxiliary vehicles, at a quarry in Western Australia. The project focuses on validating safe mixed-fleet operation, improved haulage efficiency, reduced operator dependency, and system performance across varying conditions. Autonomous haulage brings proven productivity and safety
Jun 4, 2026 · via news.cision.com
US Department of Defense signs contract for autonomous hybrid-electric trucks
The US Department of Defense signed a modernization contract with American Rheinmetall and Harbinger to build autonomous trucks that deliver supplies straight into combat zones.
Designed to reduce the need for soldiers to haul heavy gear under fire.
These new trucks run on hybrid-electric systems, so they're quieter and harder to spot, making them perfect for modern warfare.
Rheinmetall and Harbinger to mass-produce vehicles
American Rheinmetall is handling the tech integration, while Harbinger brings a drive-by-wire, hybrid-electric chassis.
The plan is to produce lots of these vehicles affordably so they can take on high-risk missions in large numbers.
Down the line, they'll even work alongside human-operated vehicles.
As American Rheinmetall's CEO Matthew Warnick put it, the goal is scalable solutions made in the US that keep up with changing military needs.
Jun 4, 2026 · via newsbytesapp.com
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Jun 3, 2026 · via houstonchronicle.com