Even when human beings’ cognitive abilities were at their least developed stage, one thing we still had in spades was our ability to solve complicated problems. Our proficiency in coming up with just the right solution would guide us to a gazillion milestones, therefore becoming the very basis of our progression over time. Now, it must be noted that despite our great success within this context, we can’t say that we were right on every single occasion. In fact, some of our failures here really set us back by a whole lot of years. However, we fortunately didn’t let that discourage us into not trying at all. Instead, we went back again and again with a reworked approach until the target in question was finally achieved. A similar sort of thing happened in the case of technology. The creation always had prodigal qualities, but the incomprehensible representation of it raised real concerns. Add the doubts regarding technology’s reliability and there is an understandably dubious picture in front of you, except like many other times, we were able to crack the code. Since then, it has been one productive ride. We still continue to learn about technology and all its dynamics in a bid to find new applications for it. The benefits for doing so are clearly reflected in the development of an industry like logistics, which is growing entirely on the back of technology. Following the tech blueprint, it’s now going all in on a new trend.
Logistics-giant, UPS is extending its two-year old partnership with Waymo that helped the company in facilitating autonomous deliveries. The new agreement will see Waymo allotting their fleet of autonomous Class 8 trucks to UPS. Furthermore, under the latest deal, the two companies intend to go beyond local boundaries and establish a longer-distance freight hauling system. As a first step to realize that intention, they will be initiating delivery operations in Texas, with the routes primarily falling between Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston. The new fleet of trucks being brought into the fold is another interesting aspect of this partnership. According to some reports, these trucks will reportedly have Waymo’s prized fifth-generation Driver system, which is basically a combination of cutting-edge hardware, sensory technology, and AI software.
It has been confirmed by the companies that they will be using in-depth data during the trials to assess the safety and efficiency of the trucks. While the fleet is going to be completely autonomous, it won’t move without a licensed driver and a software engineer in every truck. This partnership fits perfectly with UPS’ efforts to reinvent its delivery system. On the other hand, it makes a ton of sense for Waymo too, as the company looks to get some much-needed exposure before it launches its own freight-hauling and delivery service called Waymo Via.