Autonomous truck-maker Plus.ai recently closed a new deal with the Transportation Research Center to conduct unprecedented testing of its vehicles' on-road safety.
"This is the first independent testing and validation program for a self-driving truck that has been publicly announced," Shawn Kerrigan, co-founder of Plus.ai, told Cheddar.
The company commissioned TRC to develop the testing which will be conducted on the Center's seven-and-half-mile, four-lane closed course. Kerrigan says this will allow the company to conduct tests, like multi-vehicle tests, that would be unsafe to carry out on public roads.
Kerrigan's hope is that the extra battery of testing will "prove out the overall safety and reliability of the system as well as instill greater public confidence in terms of the safety of these types of technologies."
"Just as a real driver needs to go through a testing certification to be able to drive a Class 8 truck, we think similar-type testing is going to be important for autonomous vehicles," he said.
While his team believes self-driving trucks can be the answer to many problems in shipping and safety on the road, they face concerns that autonomous vehicles could put human drivers out of work. But, Kerrigan says the industry's immediate focus should be hiring drivers. He cites the current driver shortage and says Plus.ai trucks will help address that problem.
"We think that the rollout of these technologies will be gradual," he explained. "We see this as a long-term story around addressing the driver shortage, improving overall safety, and bringing economic impact on a positive side."
"What we're finding is there's tremendous interest in this space right now because, if anything, this recent coronavirus crisis has shown the importance of trucking," he told Cheddar.
When it comes to funding for Plus.ai, Kerrigan noted the importance of talking to investors as the industry grows in popularity.
"Trucking is the first place that autonomous technology will be commercialized because of the safety case, the clear business case, and the technology fit," he said.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
