Einride, EASE begin daily driverless freight runs in Ohio

Einride and EASE Logistics have launched daily driverless freight operations between two warehouses in Marysville, Ohio. These SAE Level 4 electric trucks operate without a driver onboard, with a remote operator monitoring the vehicles from off-site. This deployment follows a previous proof of concept project announced in May by Einride, EASE, DriveOhio, and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The Marysville run is EASE's third autonomous trucking deployment with DriveOhio and is part of an $8.8 million multi-year initiative called the Truck Automation Corridor Project. The companies plan to use data collected from the daily service to inform the next phase of their autonomous freight expansion and to engage in scaling talks with ODOT, INDOT, and potential logistics partners.

The trucks continuously shuttle between the two Marysville facilities, providing a closed loop for understanding the manpower requirements for loading and unloading. EASE, founded by Peter Coratola Jr., focuses on providing no-fail freight services to clients in various industries, including food and beverage, CPG, retail, and healthcare.

The company's operations are designed to maintain consistent service levels, regardless of the time of day. Coratola sees the deployment of autonomous trucks as a way to address the challenges posed by an aging driver workforce and to keep drivers engaged in the industry by reducing their workload during unplanned rack moves.