TRANSPORTATION
Aurora Innovation, Inc. | May 19, 2022
Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) and FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) announced the expansion of their pilot program to autonomously move FedEx shipments on an additional commercial lane in Texas.
In March 2022, Aurora's next-generation autonomous trucks – based on the new Peterbilt 579 – began to transport FedEx shipments between Aurora’s new terminals in Fort Worth and El Paso. Aurora is making the 600-mile trip on a weekly basis with safety drivers on board and expects to increase the frequency of trips in the coming months. Aurora continues to move shipments for FedEx between Aurora’s South Dallas terminal and its new Houston terminal on a daily basis.
Progress and momentum: FedEx and Aurora pilot snapshot
Since the commercial pilot began in September 2021, Aurora’s deliveries of FedEx shipments between Dallas and Houston have been 100% on time.
With each trip, the Aurora Driver (Aurora’s self-driving technology product) is providing thousands of FedEx customers with packages that were autonomously transported.
Aurora moves trailers for FedEx during various weather conditions and all hours of the day and night, optimizing fleet utilization.
Aurora completed daily hauls during the 2021 peak Holiday season, the busiest time of year for FedEx.
To date, the companies have completed 60,000 miles with zero safety incidents.
Aurora’s performance throughout this pilot demonstrates the value proposition autonomous trucking offers for transportation and logistics providers as the company works toward the commercial launch of its autonomous trucks. In light of the headwinds facing the logistics industry – ranging from increasing demand for the quick transportation of shipments to a challenging labor market – the Aurora Driver, when integrated into existing linehaul operations, has potential to provide a reliable, efficient linehaul solution to help address such industry concerns.
Innovation is in our DNA – our culture drives us to think radically and differently, finding new ways to use technology to enhance safety, improve our operations, empower our team members and help our customers succeed,” said Rebecca Yeung, Corporate Vice President, Operations Science & Advanced Technology, FedEx Corporation. Aurora has been a like-minded collaborator, helping us learn from and grow our autonomous trucking solutions. We look forward to our continued work together as we test further integration of autonomous technology into our operations to build a collaborative, robust network of solutions to respond to growing customer demand.
“Some time ago, I was asked why the general public should care about autonomous trucking. This is why. In six months of working with FedEx, we’ve safely, reliably, and efficiently transported packages for tens of thousands of FedEx customers, This lane expansion came ahead of schedule and we’re delighted to continue building the future of trucking with one of the country’s biggest and most important transportation companies.”
-Sterling Anderson, Aurora Co-founder and Chief Product Officer.
FedEx Corporation’s Rebecca Yeung and Aurora’s Sterling Anderson will also be speaking about how autonomous trucks can transform logistics and the movement of goods later today at TechCrunch Mobility Summit.
About Aurora
Aurora (Nasdaq: AUR) is delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly to make transportation safer, increasingly accessible, and more reliable and efficient than ever before. The Aurora Driver is a self-driving system designed to operate multiple vehicle types, from freight-hauling semi-trucks to ride-hailing passenger vehicles, and underpins Aurora Horizon and Aurora Connect, its driver-as-a-service products for trucking and ride-hailing. Aurora is partnered with industry leaders across the transportation ecosystem, including Toyota, FedEx, Volvo Trucks, PACCAR, Uber, Uber Freight, U.S. Xpress, Werner, and Covenant. To learn more, visit www.aurora.tech.
About FedEx
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $92 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its nearly 600,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit about.fedex.com.
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SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
FPT Software | May 31, 2022
FPT Software, Vietnam's premier IT firm, has just formed a strategic cooperation with Landing AI, a leader in AI and machine vision in Silicon Valley. Both firms will use their artificial intelligence (AI) expertise to develop end-to-end visual inspection solutions and drive computer vision adoption across industries.
FPT Software will promote LandingLensTM, an enterprise Machine Learning Model Operationalization Management (MLOps) platform that generates, iterates, and operationalizes AI-powered visual inspection solutions. This platform allows businesses to assess inspection procedures, evaluate product conditions, delete defective products, and more using deep learning technology. Users enjoy improved accuracy and streamlined processes, allowing them to scale quickly while lowering operational expenses.
this strategic alliance will extend the company’s AI capabilities and benefit its large customer base globally. We are excited to join hands with Landing AI to deliver world-class visual inspection solutions to our customers across the globe, Whether it is manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical, or food and beverage, all sectors need consistency in their product quality. I am confident that our partnership can help companies in those industries improve their quality control with better data.”
-Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, FPT Software’s Chief Executive Officer
FPT Software has been active in upscaling its key advanced technologies such as AI, Cloud, Hyper-automation, Blockchain, and so on, with the goal of being among the top 50 digital transformation service providers by 2030. The corporation has several initiatives in AI, including cooperation with Mila, the world's largest deep learning institute, to improve its AI skills and the establishment of an AI Center in Binh Dinh, Vietnam. In the following years, FPT Software hopes to turn this important territory into the country's first-ever AI valley.
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MANAGEMENT
Port Houston | June 21, 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its partnership with Port Houston to help establish a dedicated chassis pool system for “terminal use only” at Port Houston terminals.Beginning earlier this year, Port Houston teamed with Frozen Protein Shipping Alliance to implement measures to address supply chain impacts. The program announced today helps do just that to improve service for shippers of U.S.-grown agricultural commodities and others.
According to the USDA, foreign sales of U.S. poultry and beef through the Port of Houston totaled a half-billion dollars in 2021. Still, limited availability of equipment can impact the export of these refrigerated cargos.
“This new program will help better match chassis supply with storage demand,” said Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther.
As expansion efforts continue at Port Houston, reefer racks (stacked refrigerated containers) are included in construction plans to provide even more refrigerated cargo capacity at the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals. These Port Houston public terminals handle nearly 70% of containerized cargo through the Gulf and is the sixth busiest container operation in the nation.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 public and private terminals, collectively known as the Port of Houston, is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas – 20.6 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product (GDP) – and $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.
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