Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025:
Volvo Autonomous Solutions, Waabi partnering for autonomous truck development
Volvo Autonomous Solutions has entered into a strategic partnership with generative AI developer Waabi for the joint development and deployment of autonomous trucks.
The partnership combines Waabi’s innovation in generative AI with Volvo’s leadership in automation and safety innovation to unleash autonomous trucking and usher in a new era of safer, more efficient, and sustainable freight transportation, the companies said.Waabi
“At Waabi, we believe that vertically integrating next-generation AI technology directly into an OEM’s vehicle production is the path forward to bring safe, robust autonomous vehicles to the road, at scale,” said Raquel Urtasun, Founder and CEO of Waabi. “Volvo’s leadership in safety, commitment to excellence in engineering, and investment in forward looking innovation makes them an ideal partner to realize the future of self-driving trucks everywhere.”
Through this partnership, Volvo and Waabi are vertically integrating Waabi's virtual driver system, the Waabi Driver, into the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Volvo’s autonomous truck with redundant systems for enabling safe autonomous operations. The Volvo VNL Autonomous will be produced at Volvo’s flagship New River Valley assembly plant and is based on Volvo’s autonomous technology platform, supporting diverse operational needs, use cases, and Volvo Group truck brands.
Waabi and Volvo said they are deeply committed to developing autonomous transportation solutions that prioritize safety, efficiency and sustainability to tackle the challenges facing today’s transportation industry. Waabi’s next-generation AV2.0 approach, based on an end-to-end interpretable and verifiable AI model, powered by the industry’s most realistic neural simulator, enables autonomous trucks that can safely generalize to different scenarios on the road. This innovation, integrated with Volvo’s industry-leading purpose-built autonomous truck, is enabling a safe autonomous solution to support broad commercial deployment.
“Waabi is at the forefront of developing self-driving technologies leveraging the full power of AI,” said Shahrukh Kazmi, Chief Product Officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “We are excited to integrate Waabi's cutting-edge technology into our autonomous truck platform and work together to jointly develop a safe, efficient, and scalable autonomous transport solution."
[Related: Volvo adds DHL to its autonomous trucking network]
Work Truck Week hosting Class 2-8 Ride & Drive
Fleet operators and drivers can get on-road experience in a wide range of commercial vehicles with the latest fuel, propulsion and other advanced technology at the Work Truck Week Ride & Drive, held in downtown Indianapolis as part of Work Truck Week 2025. The Ride & Drive is free and open to all event attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., March 5-6.
Work Truck Week 2025 runs March 4-7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The event encompasses the Green Truck Summit, The Work Truck Show, NTEA Annual Meeting, Ride & Drive, educational program and more. Green Truck Summit is March 4, educational sessions run March 4-6, Work Truck Show exhibits are open March 5-7, and Ride & Drive runs March 5-6. Work Truck Week, North America’s largest work truck event, is produced by NTEA – The Work Truck Association. Registration is available online.
“Ride & Drive is a unique experience that affords any attendee the opportunity to experience the latest commercial vehicles and the new technology that powers them in their natural environment – out on the road,” said Chris Lyon, NTEA director of fleet relations. “Whether you want to get behind the wheel yourself or prefer riding shotgun to take notes and photos, manufacturer reps will be on hand to guide you and answer your questions.”
Attendees can explore 21 vehicles spanning Classes 2-8, including all-electric vans, trucks and chassis, as well as internal combustion vehicles featuring advanced technology to improve fuel utilization and reduce greenhouse gases or particulate matter.
This event is especially useful for fleet managers and other industry professionals who don’t have time to arrange individual meetings to test-drive equipment from various manufacturers, organizers said.
More information about each of the companies and vehicles available in Ride & Drive can be found online here or in the Work Truck Week app.
FleetPride acquires Delaware-based service provider
Aftermarket heavy-duty parts and service distributor FleetPride announced last week that it has acquired the assets of ARS Truck & Fleet Service.
Based in New Castle, Delaware, ARS operates 25 service bays in two locations and a mobile service fleet of 16 trucks. This transaction represents the expansion of service on the Eastern Seaboard for FleetPride.
ARS was founded in 1972 and has a long track record of superior in-house and on-location repair services for heavy duty fleets.
"The entire ARS Truck & Fleet Service team is thrilled to become a part of FleetPride. Our companies have been strong partners for many years," said Patrick Connell, ARS CEO. "The mission at ARS has always been to create an environment of growth for our people and our company. We pride ourselves on the strong culture we have, and the many years of industry leading work we have done. FleetPride is the perfect partner to continue that legacy. We now have access to all the resources we require to grow like never before. With this opportunity, I am more excited about our mission than any point in my career."
For FleetPride, the acquisition adds another outstanding team that will continue leading the way to meet the needs of the heavy duty industry, the company said. Simultaneously, it provides ARS customers with access to a nationwide network of parts and service solutions, featuring industry-leading digital solutions such as the FleetPride.com eCommerce platform.
"We are excited to welcome the entire ARS Truck & Fleet Service team to our company," said FleetPride President of Parts and Service Mike Harris. "Patrick Connell and his outstanding team are a model of customer service and operational excellence. We are proud to carry on ARS's legacy and continue serving their valued customers along the Eastern Seaboard."
