Platooning Trucks Deliver Goods in Ohio and Indiana
 Earlier this year, tractor-trailers with automated truck platooning technology began operating along Interstate 70 between Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. Since April, the pair of trucks have covered more than 2,700 miles and driven nearly 50 hours in platooning mode. That's almost equivalent to driving the United States from coast to coast!
Our fleet partner, EASE Logistics, has made nearly 50 deliveries of goods to customers in the three months since the deployment began along with collecting valuable performance data. So far, EASE has already seen increased fuel efficiency for the following truck when the technology is engaged versus when it's not and the trucks are operated manually.
The platooning technology is provided by Kratos Defense and Security Systems Inc. and the deployment is expected to continue until April 2026.
Truck Platoon Travels Through Ohio to Deliver Equipment to NASCAR Race
Kratos Defense and Security Systems Inc. partnered with Champion Tire and Wheel to deploy an automated truck platoon to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, marking the first use of driverless truck technology in motorsports logistics supporting NASCAR teams with delivery of wheels, tires, and pit gear. The truck platoon traveled along Interstate 70 through Ohio to Indiana en route to the race.
The Brickyard 400 deployment builds on the I-70 Truck Automation Corridor project, a joint effort between Ohio and Indiana to accelerate the safe integration of automated trucking along key Midwest freight corridors. Led by DriveOhio and INDOT, the I-70 Truck Automation Corridor project uses Kratos' auto-platooning systems deployed on the road with EASE Logistics to support freight deliveries.
DriveOhio brought its Workforce Lab to kick off the Ohio State Fair in COSI's Innovation Zone in the Youth Exploration Space. Kids of all ages engaged in a coding activity with Ozobots, saw our new Sphero robots and block-coding lesson plans in action, and learned about the future of mobility, including delivery robots.
Brutus the robodog also made an appearance with our UAS Team at ODOT's booth in the Bricker Marketplace. Brutus is part of a research project exploring several uses for ground-based robotic assistants including culvert inspections, emergency response, and visual observation for drone operations.
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DriveOhio's 2024 annual report is now available on our website. The report includes accomplishments across all of our work areas including advanced air mobility; Uncrewed aircraft systems; Connected vehicles; Automated vehicles; Transportation energy, security and resilience; Data, machine learning and artificial intelligence; and workforce development. Looking ahead, it outlines strategic objectives we'll strive for in 2025 and beyond.
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Hear From Our Team
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Ohio Conference on Freight
DriveOhio's Andrew Bremer will present a session titled Driving Change: Ohio's Role in Deploying Freight Truck Automation at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30.
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FHWA's Careers in Gear Summer Webinar Series
DriveOhio's Rich Granger will participate in a webinar hosted by FHWA's Every Day Counts Strategic Workforce Development team titled A Fireside Chat on Youth Development Programs at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6.
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2025 ITS World Congress in Atlanta, GA
DriveOhio's Nick Hegemier will participate the following sessions:
- Expanding Automated and Connected Trucking Use Cases On/Off-Highway at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, August 24
- Harnessing AI and Machine Learning for Proactive Traffic Management at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26.
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2025 MAASTO Annual Meeting in Minnesota, MN
DriveOhio's Santos Ramos will present a session titled Leading the Charge: Ohio's First Mover Advantage in EV Deployment at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26.
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