United States Postal Service joins TuSimple for a non-motorized truck driver: NPR

The US Postal Service is experimenting with stand-alone trucks to deliver mail on multiple lines.

The USPS is associated with San Diego-based TuSimple, as part of a two-week pilot program, focused solely on a 1,000-mile route between Dallas and Phoenix.

TuSimple Product Manager Chuck Price told NPR that the ongoing tests, which began Tuesday, will help the postal service "prepare for the future". According to the postal service, the program aims to "support a diverse mix of mail, improve security, improve service, reduce emissions and generate operating savings".

It will be five round trip trips, passing the major highways through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Each truck will have a "safety engineer" and driver on board for the duration of the pilot to monitor vehicle performance and ensure public safety.

Postal services generally outsource these trips over long distances, which involve large freight trailers carrying thousands of mail as opposed to small trucks delivering home deliveries.

Having people in the driver's seat – driving – on long distance links like the one being tested is a challenge "because it takes 22 hours in one direction, you need teams of drivers and it is very difficult to recruit drivers for this type of course, "Price said.

The pilot marks the debut of TuSimple in Texas. The commercial freight carrier has been operating autonomous vehicles primarily in Arizona since 2018.

The postal service also has ideas on the use of autonomous vehicles leading to home delivery, for example by using vehicles followed by a postman following a route.

It is unclear how much the pilot program will cost, but the postal service pointed out that it was not receiving taxpayers' money for its operating expenses.