Self-driving trucks begin mail delivery test for U.S. Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) started a two-week trial of using autonomous cars to transport mail across state lines. Through a partnership with autonomous truck startup TuSimple, USPS will send an autonomous truck (accompanied by a safety driver) on five round trips from Dallas and Phoenix, each totaling over 2,100 miles and 45 hours of driving.

Autonomous cars are becoming more and more commonplace despite a misconception that autonomous vehicles will cause huge labor shortages in the U.S. This test program comes as freight haulers and shippers are grappling with a growing shortage of drivers. The American Trucking Association estimates a shortage of 174,500 drivers by 2024.

(Reuters) – The U.S. Postal Service started a two-week test transporting mail across three Southwestern states using self-driving trucks, a step forward in the effort to commercialize autonomous vehicle technology for hauling freight. […]

Click here to check out the original story written Heather Somerville for Reuters