Autonomous Yard Trucks Gain Ground in Logistics Industry

Autonomous yard trucks are rapidly advancing as a key component of the logistics sector, particularly in confined environments like ports and distribution centers. While long-haul self-driving trucks are making progress, yard automation is already seeing widespread deployment. At the 2025 ACT Expo in California, companies like Forterra, ISEE, and Outrider showcased their technologies and partnerships with OEMs such as Kalmar and TICO. These partnerships aim to bring autonomous-ready yard tractors directly from the assembly line as early as next year.

ISEE, working with TICO, has already deployed autonomous trucks at a major logistics hub, completing hundreds of thousands of trailer moves. They’re also developing retrofitting programs for existing tractors, addressing the massive installed base in use today. ISEE demonstrated robotic arms and auto-connect systems to facilitate trailer coupling.

Forterra, in collaboration with Kalmar, is introducing AutoDrive-equipped tractors and progressing toward full production by 2026. Their Ottawa AutoTT™ tractors are undergoing extensive testing and have shown consistent and reliable performance in early deployments. The push for autonomy in yards is well-suited to electric and alternative fuel vehicles due to their localized, repeatable operations.

The overall trend suggests yard automation may outpace on-road autonomy due to fewer regulatory and safety hurdles, simpler operational domains, and clear business value through improved consistency and efficiency.