Volvo Announces Hub-to-hub Autonomous Transport Solution

Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS), a Volvo Group company, has introduced a new hub-to-hub autonomous transport solution, designed to serve four main customer segments: shippers, carriers, logistics service providers and freight brokers. Each solution will be configured to suit the business needs of the specific segments while addressing the growing demand for goods movement in North America.

VAS also announced that it will partner with global logistics provider DHL Supply Chain as its first customer to pilot the hub-to-hub solution, representing Volvo’s goal to develop a business model with customers that will address all the steps required to bring its autonomous solutions to market. 

VAS, in collaboration with Aurora, has been working on a technical solution to offer autonomous trucks in the U.S., while also developing a complete Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS) solution for integrated and scalable autonomous freight capacity for highway applications. Presented today, the autonomous transport solution will be configured to different customer-segment requirements to transport freight autonomously on major U.S. highway networks.

“Today, the increasing demand for freight is outgrowing capacity and solutions must be bolder, safer, smarter and more sustainable to move the world forward,” said Nils Jaeger, president of VAS.

“This is more than an autonomous truck – it is the autonomous transport solution, which we believe will create value for the entire transportation ecosystem, all with optimized operations that reduce emissions and increase safety.” This is the first step in positioning a dedicated North American operation that is rooted in global experience with autonomous technology applications.

DHL and the Volvo Group have a long history of working together, and this new collaboration will help pave the way for VAS’s logistics service providers customer segment. The future deployment of the Class 8 Volvo VNL autonomous trucks will be DHL’s first TaaS operation globally.

“DHL is excited to partner with a leading-edge transportation company in Volvo Autonomous Solutions. We are full-speed-ahead on the adoption of the next wave of transportation solutions including autonomous trucks and confident that global leaders like Volvo will help to accelerate their development,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president, transportation, DHL Supply Chain North America.

“We see huge potential in advanced technology solutions like autonomous trucks to address the needs of our customers around efficiency, reliability and increased capacity, which only hastened during the pandemic. But our collaboration aims higher than an autonomous truck – we hope our partnership with Volvo will help shape a safer and more sustainable future for all.”

VAS is working across all four customer segments to finalize strategic partnerships with key customers – segments who will pilot the autonomous transport solution. These partnerships will allow VAS to understand the needs of each specific segment in real-world applications and develop and adapt the offerings based on inputs and findings experienced across the entire transportation network. 

VAS will be the single point of contact for autonomous transport solution customers, with the goal of serving as a reliable partner in their transition. The company's long-term ambition is to tackle the transportation industry capacity constraints and make the world a safer, more sustainable place.