Ryder Joins International for Autonomous Truck Pilot in Texas

Logistics giant Ryder partners with International to test self-driving semi trucks on Texas highways. The future or a risk?

Can you imagine looking at the truck next to you and realizing there's no one driving? Well, that's about to become more common on Texas highways. Ryder, one of the world's largest leasing fleets, has just announced a partnership with International to launch an autonomous truck pilot program on major Texan freight routes.

International's engineers promise that their new autonomous models are safer than a human driver, using a network of sensors, cameras, and radars that see further than the human eye can detect. But we know truckers have their doubts, and rightly so. A machine can't feel if the load shifted or if the road is icy the same way someone with years of experience behind the wheel does.

Speaking of technology and alignment, when we talk about new trucks (even the self-driving ones), it's a mistake to think they come ready to eat up miles without issues. We've seen that even trucks with 0 miles don't always come perfectly aligned from the factory. It's always recommended to run it through a free road simulator inspection and check the alignment on a professional alignment machine before hitting the road. Visit The Truck Savers!

What do you think of this move by Ryder and International? Would you let a robot haul your freight?