From June, autonomous driving trucks are expected to be seen transporting parcels on the Jungbu Expressway.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced on the 16th that it has, for the first time, granted approval for paid freight transportation using autonomous vehicles to domestic autonomous driving specialist company RideFlux. Previously, approvals were mainly issued for services such as autonomous buses that carry passengers.

Starting in June, RideFlux plans to launch a parcel transport service using an autonomous truck shuttling between the Dongnam Logistics Complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and Lotte Global Logistics’ Jincheon Mega Hub Terminal in North Chungcheong Province via the Jungbu Expressway. The autonomous truck will operate on a 112 km route at a speed of 90 km/h. One Tata Daewoo Mobility Maxen 25t truck will be deployed for the route. It will operate three times a week between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following day on weekdays, when traffic volume is relatively low.

For safety, full driverless operation will be introduced in stages. In the initial phase, a test driver will be seated in the driver’s seat during operation. From next year, the test driver will only be seated in the passenger seat. After MOLIT’s safety verification, the system is planned to transition to fully unmanned operation.

RideFlux plans to begin the service after signing a paid transport contract with its partner Lotte Global Logistics. In cooperation with local governments, the company also plans to promote the introduction of autonomous freight transport services in the Jeonbuk Wide-area Transport Network Zone, Gangwon Freight Transport Zone, Jeju Smart Logistics Zone, and Daegu, among others.

The Korea Expressway Corporation, as the entrusted management agency, will establish an operation monitoring system to ensure driving safety. Through this monitoring, it will be able to track the driving location of trucks on the expressway and whether the autonomous driving system is functioning. In line with the announcement in February last year inviting applications for permits for paid freight transport using autonomous vehicles, RideFlux underwent document screening as well as on-site operational safety evaluations conducted by the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute, the Korea Transport Institute, and the Korea Expressway Corporation.

Park Joon-hyung, Director General of the Mobility and Automobile Bureau at MOLIT, said, “This approval will serve as a catalyst for the commercialization of autonomous freight transport technology,” adding, “The government will actively support domestic autonomous driving technology so that it can secure competitiveness in freight transport as well as in passenger transport.”

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