Pilot Introduction of Autonomous Driving in Mainline Vehicle Operation
CJ Logistics will utilize autonomous trucks for transportation between logistics hubs such as parcel distribution centers. The company plans to expand automation in logistics through advanced autonomous driving technology.
On the 14th, CJ Logistics announced that it will start a pilot project for operating parcel trunk vehicles using autonomous trucks in collaboration with the autonomous driving startup MasAuto. Accordingly, an 11-ton large truck loaded with actual parcel goods will operate a 218km trunk route six times a week from CJ Logistics' Incheon Sorting Center to Okcheon Hub Terminal. The pilot project, which will run for about a year starting at the end of this month, aims to further enhance the completeness of autonomous driving.
Autonomous driving is challenging for large trucks over 11 tons. Due to their large and heavy bodies and the heavy cargo they carry, braking distances are long, requiring quick judgment and prediction when applying autonomous driving. However, trunk vehicles are advantageous for autonomous driving introduction because they repeatedly operate the same routes daily and mainly use highways.
The Incheon-Okcheon trunk route, where the pilot autonomous trucks will operate, passes sequentially through the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway, Yeongdong Expressway, and Gyeongbu Expressway. Highways account for about 93% of the driving distance. Autonomous trucks operating on this route will be manually driven in urban sections and switch to autonomous driving on highways. Drivers will be on board to take control in case of emergencies.
To implement this method, CJ Logistics has already conducted several research and development efforts. In 2022, it operated autonomous driving four times over about 60km from Danwon Subterminal to Gonjiam Hub Terminal, and in 2023, it operated six times over about 258km from Gunpo Subterminal to Daejeon Hub Terminal with actual cargo. Tests were also conducted under various driving conditions such as day and night, rain, tunnels, and emergency situations.
Through this pilot project, CJ Logistics plans to advance its autonomous driving system and gradually expand the routes and vehicles applied with autonomous driving. It also plans to accelerate the development of logistics automation technologies based on autonomous driving, such as unmanned shuttles within ports and unmanned docking at terminal docks.
Kim Kyung-hoon, head of CJ Logistics TES Logistics Technology Research Institute, said, "Through collaboration with MasAuto, which possesses differentiated technology, we will be able to build a more advanced autonomous driving system," adding, "We will spread automation technology to various logistics sites through continuous innovation and research and development."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
