A self-driving truck company has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to test autonomous technology on the long-haul route between Phoenix and Dallas.
San Diego-based TuSimple is planning for two autonomous trucks to carry mail and parcels on five round trips between the Postal Service distribution centers in the two cities starting Tuesday.
TuSimple says a safety engineer and a driver will be on board to monitor the trucks during the two-week pilot program.
The pilot program includes five round trips in total, each adding up to more than 2,100 miles-or around 45 hours-of driving along major interstates through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
If successful, the test could help lead to a possible solution to driver shortage for freight haulers nationwide.
The American Trucking Associations has estimated a shortage of as many as 174,500 drivers by the year 2024 as the result of an aging workforce and a lack of younger drivers. Additionally, recent safety laws that require drivers to electronically log the number of miles they drive has placed constraints on the speed and efficiency for delivering goods in the trucking industry.
The trucks use a camera system allowing the vehicles to view about 3,280 feet ahead.
The company says the Postal Service has contracted TuSimple to examine if the technology could reduce fuel costs, increase safety and improve fleet operation.
The Postal Service, which operates a fleet of 232,000 vehicles, has looked at new ways to conduct trucking operations. Nearly 8,000 of those vehicles are tractors, trailers and other trucks larger than delivery vehicles, which number around 208,000.
"This pilot is just one of many ways the Postal Service is innovating and investing in its future," the agency said in a prepared statement.