Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
Amazon just became a direct rival to the biggest names in parcel, freight, and 3PL services. Plus: shippers are paying a lot more, your carrier check may be passing thieves through, a $4M cargo theft recovery shows what's possible, and more.
Remember Argo AI, the self-driving car startup abandoned by Ford and Volkswagen? Well, guess what? The brains behind it are back, and they're diving into the autonomous trucking game with a cool $1 billion from SoftBank. Introducing Stack AV.
A Shifting Landscape
It might seem like an odd time to jump into autonomous trucking, given recent struggles in the industry:
Embark Trucks ran out of cash.
Alphabet shifted its focus from Waymo Via to ride-hailing.
TuSimple ponders leaving the U.S. market.
Incoming Stack AV
Meet Stack AV, the Pittsburgh-based startup with big plans. And they've got some real credibility.
Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO, knows the game.
They're swimming in SoftBank's cash pool.
But there's work to do. Even with their talent, catching up won't be a cakewalk, says Mike Ramsey from Gartner Inc.
A Financial Cushion
SoftBank's investment gives Stack AV a comfy financial cushion. The freeze-up of venture capital might be thawing, and that's good news for the industry. Stack AV wants to shake things up: boosting efficiency and safety, smoothing out supply chains, and maximizing transportation routes and energy efficiency. They've got their eyes on last-mile and middle-mile deliveries, too.
AI Powerhouse
SoftBank's not just throwing money at them; they're sharing their AI expertise to supercharge Stack AV's growth and tech developments. Kentaro Matsui from SoftBank says AI is the future, linking all social systems to solve complex issues.
Stack AV's leadership has decades of experience. With 150 employees in multiple states, they're rolling into the trucking space with confidence.
After months of speculation and rumors, Stack AV has shifted into gear to serve as the latest autonomous vehicle startup looking to accelerate the development of self-driving technology. Here's what comes next, according to CEO Bryan Salesky. https://t.co/5RdV5JERio
I’m Adriana, a writer and editor at FreightCaviar. I’ve covered everything from freight tech to industry lawsuits and market shifts, helping scale us to almost 14K subscribers. My goal: to make logistics stories digestible, clear, and fun to read.
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