Challenge: Global automakers have highly optimized supply chains, yet a lack of end-to-end visibility limits their ability to make further gains. For one carmaker, this made it difficult to provide accurate ETAs. In turn, this led to significant buffering and higher opportunity costs.
Starting this week, letters and packages moving between Phoenix and Dallas will travel on customized Peterbilt trucks run by TuSimple, an autonomous startup based in San Diego.
The United States is experiencing a capacity crisis — with roughly 10 loads to be shipped for every easily accessible truck — and shippers are scrambling to be able to service their customers without breaking the bank on every shipment.
As FedEx and UPS beef up automation to keep pace with surging e-commerce and a potential threat from Amazon, they’ve been stumped at a crucial stage: loading and unloading trucks.