The video at BMW Manufacturing’s new logistics center, shows driverless yard trucks transporting automotive parts between warehouses and crossing bridges over public roadways.
Recently, BMW Manufacturing has opened a new logistics center known as LCX in Freeman Farm Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina. This facility cost $100 million and is almost one million square feet in size. It merges two previous off-site warehouses into one operation.
As part of the launch of the new logistics center, BMW demonstrated a fleet of self-driving yard trucks known as “autonomous hostlers” operating at the facility. These trucks are utilized to transport automotive parts across two private bridges that have been newly constructed to connect the logistics center to the BMW plant. These bridges cross over Freeman Farm Road and Interstate 85, providing quick and efficient access to the plant.
BMW demonstrated the capabilities of their autonomous logistics program in a video where a driverless hostler and trailer were seen leaving the LCX building and delivering parts to another building on the plant site. The hostler and trailer also traveled across private bridges. In the future, BMW plans to use 5G wireless technology at the Plant Spartanburg site to improve real-time connectivity between machinery and equipment. Additionally, the LCX building has been designed to work seamlessly with the autonomous hostler and features “smart” dock doors that automatically open when the truck arrives, as described in the company’s news release.
A video demonstration, which includes footage shot from inside the cab of a driverless yard truck, is available for viewing.
