Ikea has begun trialling driverless logistics.
The group has partnered with Kodiak Robotics to see if it could help counter the shortage of lorry drivers in the US.
Every day a lorry takes the 290 mile journey from Ikea’s distribution centre in Baytown, Texas to a store in Frisco, Texas, a journey of about four and a half hours. The trip is supervised by a driver during the trial.
‘Together, we can enhance safety, improve working conditions for drivers, and create a more sustainable freight transportation system. Adopting autonomous trucking technology can improve drivers’ quality of life by focusing on the local driving jobs most prefer to do. We look forward to working with the IKEA carrier partners to bring these benefits to the IKEA supply chain,’ says Don Burnette, Kodiak Robotics ceo.
Leaving the driving to the technology saves around 10% on fuel, according to Kodiak.
