Logistics provider YMX is adding self-driving technology from AI startup Outrider to its fleet of all-electric Orange EV yard trucks. The five-year agreement, reported by Electrek, is aimed at easing a nationwide shortage of qualified yard operators while helping large enterprise customers cut exposure to volatile diesel prices, which the source notes averaged $6.38 per gallon nationally this week.
Outrider's system equips the Class 8 trucks with LiDAR, radar, and cameras feeding an AI-powered perception platform on NVIDIA DRIVE hardware. That setup gives the vehicles 360-degree awareness to identify and navigate around trailers, trucks, pallets, and people, while Outrider's software handles the driving.
Both companies frame the partnership as a turnkey path for shippers that lack the resources to evaluate and deploy automation and electrification themselves. The source also notes that TÜV SÜD, an independent testing and certification organization, determined Outrider's functional safety aligns with its Autonomous Vehicle Conformity Framework requirements.