Columbus, Ohio – Several Ohio freight firms are pushing the envelope on autonomous trucking, with a handful of driverless tractor‑trailers now operating on limited, semi‑private roads. The effort is led by Dublin‑based Ease Logistics, which has been testing platooning technology for years and recently began running trucks without a human driver present inside a corporate park.
Current testing and technology
Ease’s driverless trucks rely on artificial intelligence, cameras and lidar sensors to navigate. Purple lights on the vehicles signal their autonomous status to law‑enforcement without broadcasting the information to other motorists. While the trucks can travel on private routes, Ohio law still permits fully driverless vehicles on public roads only for testing and research, and most deployments keep a human behind the wheel as a safety backup.
In 2022, the company logged thousands of miles of autonomous and platooning runs on rural roads in Vinton and Athens counties. A state report based on company data found the trucks performed better than autonomous cars, which required more frequent human interventions.
Recent mileage and performance
During the summer, Ease accumulated roughly 3,000 miles of platooning on Interstate 70 with a backup driver present, according to data submitted to DriveOhio. The company noted several “excessive braking events,” though no crashes occurred. Chief Administrative Officer Abbi Fallia said the underlying Kratos Defense technology could soon operate without the second driver, describing the limitation as “more of a regulation thing than a capability thing.”
Ease also runs smaller, box‑shaped autonomous trucks from Swedish firm Einride at its Marysville warehouse. Those vehicles travel about 15 mph on short, quasi‑private routes and now carry real cargo. Fallia hopes to extend the operation onto a nearby public road with a 45‑mph speed limit and eventually onto U.S. 33.
Regulatory and industry context
Ohio’s current statutes allow fully driverless vehicles on public highways only for testing. A broader rollout would require legislative changes. DriveOhio spokesperson Breanna Badanes warned that autonomous systems still struggle with construction zones and spotty cellular or satellite signals, which can cause platooning systems to disengage.
Other companies are also testing in the state. California‑based Kodiak AI demonstrated Level 4 autonomy for DriveOhio this spring, navigating construction zones, merging onto highways and responding to unexpected pedestrians. Kodiak expects its technology to scale broadly in the coming years.
Labor concerns and safety debate
The Teamsters union, which represents truck drivers, has repeatedly opposed driverless trucking, citing an existential threat to members’ livelihoods. The union recently sued California over a law allowing autonomous trucks on public roads, arguing the technology endangers jobs and the state’s economic engine.
Safety advocates remain divided. DriveOhio reports no crashes in any autonomous deployments, and early research on passenger‑vehicle robotaxis suggests lower crash rates than human drivers. However, IIHS vice president David Kidd cautioned that heavy‑truck safety outcomes cannot be inferred from passenger‑car data, noting the greater damage potential of tractor‑trailers.
Future outlook
Ease envisions a model where two drivers operate two trucks together, with one driver sleeping or handling paperwork while the following truck runs in platooning mode. The company believes autonomous trucking could eventually reshape, rather than eliminate, trucker work.
For now, Ohio’s driverless trucks remain a test of technology, regulation and public trust. As companies gather more data and lawmakers consider updates to state law, the state could become a key proving ground for autonomous freight across the Midwest.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
