Berkshire’s McLane to test driverless long-haul trucks

McLane Co., the Berkshire Hathaway distribution company controlled by Warren Buffett, has invested in autonomous long-haul truck technology and will begin testing driverless Class 8 tractor-trailers on U.S. interstate routes this year.

The investment will fund trials of autonomous heavy-duty trucks on dedicated lanes and routing corridors and support integration of the systems into McLane's logistics network. Executives cited potential reductions in operating costs, faster delivery times and relief for a national shortage of long-haul drivers as motives for the investment.

McLane plans to work with one or more autonomous-vehicle technology providers and established truck manufacturers to retrofit or acquire vehicles suited for long-distance freight hauling. Initial tests will include safety operators and remote monitoring while the firm evaluates performance, reliability and compliance with federal and state rules.

Logistics teams will run trials on interstate corridors heavily used by grocers and convenience stores, measuring fuel efficiency, on-time deliveries and maintenance impacts under autonomous operation. McLane distributes grocery and convenience store goods across the continental United States and is one of the country's largest private carriers.

Federal and state regulators permit testing of autonomous commercial vehicles under defined conditions, and companies commonly operate with safety drivers or in supervised, geofenced lanes during early deployments. McLane will coordinate with state transportation agencies and federal regulators to meet safety and reporting requirements before expanding operations.

Technology firms and truck makers have conducted commercial pilots that use software, lidar and radar to operate Class 8 tractors on predictable highway segments. The systems include lane keeping, platooning and adaptive cruise control, and deployments still require detailed mapping, redundant safety systems and human oversight.

McLane will initially limit autonomous runs to selected routes and times of day while collecting metrics on delivery reliability, fuel consumption and vehicle wear. The company also will study effects on terminal operations, yard handling and load scheduling. Results from early trials will guide any decision to scale the technology across additional routes or add more autonomous vehicles to its fleet.