Briefly: International joins with Ryder for autonomous truck pilot program -

International Motors, LLC recently announced the launch of a joint autonomous truck pilot with Ryder System, Inc. that places a factory-integrated autonomous vehicle into a live freight operation.

Ryder is International’s inaugural customer participating in the truck manufacturer’s autonomous fleet trial program. As part of the pilot, Ryder is operating a daily 600-mile route along the Interstate 35 corridor between Ryder locations in Laredo and Temple, Texas.

Designed to demonstrate that autonomous technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing customer operations, an International autonomous truck runs a dedicated transportation route for a Ryder supply chain customer, allowing both Ryder and International to evaluate performance, reliability, and operational requirements under real-world conditions.

As part of the trial, International has deployed its second-generation autonomous tractor, equipped with a comprehensive suite of factory-installed sensors – including lidar, radar, and cameras – on an International LT Series truck, powered by the S13 Integrated Powertrain and running the latest generation AI-based SuperDrive autonomous driving software from PlusAI.

“In partnering with fleet customers to determine path-to-deployment, we’re focused on integrating factory-ready virtual driver software into existing transport operations, without the need for dedicated autonomous terminals,” said James Cooper, head of Autonomous Solutions, International. “The mission is to deliver a quality, OEM-validated solution to ensure our customers receive the reliability and valued experience they trust from International.”

The pilot is intended to:

Validate autonomous technology as part of an active long-haul logistics network
Identify optimal use cases and near-term value proposition in long-haul transport
Gain operational feedback to finalize launch-ready product features

“For Ryder, this pilot represents an important step forward —moving beyond terminal- and maintenance-focused trials to evaluating autonomy in live operations,” said Seth deVlugt, senior director of RyderVentures and new product strategy at Ryder. “The insights we gain here will help us further understand how autonomy could potentially be applied across portions of the supply chain.”

Initial results from the pilot include:

100% on-time delivery
92% autonomous route coverage, supervised by a human safety driver
Pre-trip inspection below 30 minutes, in line with current expectations
Improved fuel efficiency

New study finds collison rate down

Lytx® Inc., the industry pioneer of video and safety-driven efficiency, has released its 2026 Road Safety Report, an analysis drawing from more than 341 billion miles of driving data.

It found collision rates have begun to level off, rising just 4% in 2025, highlighting a dramatic shift after the post-pandemic surges. Most importantly, according to Lytx, the rate of severe crashes per mile fell by 4%, and moderately severe collisions plummeted by 41%.

Other major findings include:

Near collisions dropped a dramatic 23% from last year’s all-time high
Coaching efforts on device use surged 40%, reflecting intensified focus on distraction reduction
The top four riskiest U.S. roadways are concentrated near major airports, amplifying urban hazards
July remains the deadliest month for drivers, underscoring seasonal risk patterns

You can see the entire report here.