TUCSON, AZ — In the middle of the desert near Rita Ranch, one fairly new company is making strides with their self-driving trucks.
Chief Product Operator for Tu Simple, Chuck Price, says the company started in 2015.
"Our goal is to create a safer highway experience for all drivers and to address the significant driver shortage that exists in the US and is only getting larger."
Standing inside of Tu Simple's production development and test facility, price says there are several advantages for companies deciding to use their trucks.
"The self-driving truck perceives more it sees farther, it sees in all directions simultaneously, it reacts more quickly than a human can react to conditions on the road and it never tires so it's never distracted, it's never drowsy."
Right now there are 15 trucks across the US. Price says by the summer their goal is to have 50 trucks on the road. One of their main routes runs from Nogales all the way to Phoenix.
Price says on every ride, there are always two people in truck, a driver and an engineer.
"The driver will keep feet near the pedals and will keep hands near the wheel."
Price says he never imagined this technology in trucks 20 years ago and says what the future of transportation looks like is being determined today.
