International Motors has begun a pilot programme to test autonomous trucks in active freight operations, working in partnership with Ryder System.
The trial involves a factory-integrated autonomous vehicle operating on a daily 600-mile route along the Interstate 35 corridor between Laredo and Temple, Texas. Ryder is the first customer to participate in International’s autonomous fleet trial programme.
The pilot is designed to assess how autonomous driving technology can be incorporated into existing logistics networks without the need for dedicated infrastructure. The vehicle is deployed on a regular freight route for a Ryder supply chain customer, allowing both companies to monitor performance and operational requirements under typical working conditions.
The truck used in the trial is International’s second-generation autonomous tractor, based on its LT Series platform. It is equipped with factory-installed sensors, including lidar, radar and cameras, and uses the S13 integrated powertrain. The vehicle runs the SuperDrive autonomous driving system developed by PlusAI.
James Cooper, head of Autonomous Solutions at International, said:In partnering with fleet customers to determine path-to-deployment, we're focused on integrating factory-ready virtual driver software into existing transport operations, without the need for dedicated autonomous terminals. The mission is to deliver a quality, OEM-validated solution to ensure our customers receive the reliability and valued experience they trust from International.
The pilot programme has several objectives, including validating the use of autonomous vehicles in long-haul logistics, identifying practical applications in freight transport, and gathering operational feedback to support future product development.
According to early results, it has achieved on-time deliveries, with autonomous systems handling the majority of the route under the supervision of a human safety driver. Pre-trip inspection times and fuel efficiency have also been monitored as part of the evaluation.
Seth deVlugt, senior director of RyderVentures and new product strategy at Ryder, said:For Ryder, this pilot represents an important step forward—moving beyond terminal- and maintenance-focused trials to evaluating autonomy in live operations. The insights we gain here will help us further understand how autonomy could potentially be applied across portions of the supply chain.
The trial will contribute to understanding how autonomous vehicles perform in real logistics settings, including factors such as uptime, maintenance, and operational processes. The collaboration also aims to explore point-to-point freight operations using software-driven vehicle systems.
International and Ryder indicated that the findings from the pilot will inform future efforts to develop commercially viable autonomous transport solutions.
