Newsroom

Autonomous Semi-Trailer Road Demonstration Completed Under the L4 Autonomous Driving Logistics Trailer Promotion Council
— Verifying Real-World Driving Performance in Anticipation of Trunk Route Deployment —

2026.04.10

Robotruck Inc. ('Robotruck'), together with ORIX Auto Corporation ('ORIX Auto') and Senko Co., Ltd. ('Senko'), operating as 'The L4 Autonomous Driving Logistics Trailer Promotion Council', has completed a public road demonstration of an autonomous semi-trailer truck as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) project titled 'Demonstration Project Toward Social Implementation of Autonomous Driving Trucks for Trunk Transport'.

Semi-trailers offer greater cargo capacity than standard van-type trucks. By separating loading and unloading operations from driving at logistics hubs, they enable reduced dwell times and improved vehicle utilization rates, promising a significant boost in logistics efficiency.

For this demonstration, the consortium conducted autonomous driving trials between two logistics relay hubs operated by Senko in Shizuoka Prefecture — "TSUNAGU STATION Hamamatsu" and "TSUNAGU STATION Shin-Fuji" — verifying both vehicle performance and operational design. Driving data collected during the trial will be used to improve the accuracy of the autonomous driving technology. Insights from consortium discussions regarding operational challenges will also inform joint deliberations with ORIX Auto and Senko on semi-trailer operations.

The consortium will continue working in close collaboration with all parties toward the realization of an autonomous trunk transport service between logistics hubs.

Demonstration Details and Results

The demonstration was designed to verify vehicle performance and operational design based on the premise of integrating autonomous trucks into the actual operations of logistics providers, with a view to realizing autonomous trunk transport.

Implementation Details

• Demonstration period: February 2026

• Total distance driven: Approximately 4,800 km

• Route: TSUNAGU STATION Shin-Fuji → Shin-Fuji IC → Hamamatsu SA Smart IC → TSUNAGU STATION Hamamatsu (autonomous driving limited to the Shin-Fuji IC – Hamamatsu SA Smart IC section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway)

The route and driving conditions were set in line with the needs of each consortium member, and active discussions were held during the demonstration period among both senior executives and operational staff from all companies regarding current technical progress and future operational challenges.

Actual logistics routes in commercial operation present a range of high-difficulty scenarios, including: tunnel driving, where GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals are blocked and accurate vehicle positioning becomes challenging; driving in backlit conditions, where sensor visibility is reduced; and merging, which requires advanced recognition and judgment of surrounding vehicles while integrating a 16.5-meter vehicle into live highway traffic.

The demonstration confirmed stable driving performance under all of these challenging conditions.

Autonomous driving of semi-trailers presents significant technical challenges due to the complexity of steering inherent to the vehicle's full length and articulated structure, as well as the need for stable control during lane changes. Robotruck has addressed these challenges through proprietary AI algorithms and technology, confirming that control errors remained within the defined tolerances throughout the demonstration.

The successful implementation of autonomous semi-trailer driving is expected to dramatically improve vehicle turnover rates in trunk transport.

All consortium members have mutually confirmed their intent to collaborate on joint demonstrations and commercialization efforts in the coming years. Going forward, the parties will work together to select routes and cargo for full-scale autonomous driving deployment, and to identify the assets and capabilities that logistics operators will need to establish.

Comments from Consortium Members

Hiraku Saito, Corporate Senior Vice President, ORIX Auto Corporation

"We are truly delighted to have successfully completed this demonstration project, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all consortium members for their dedicated efforts. Through this demonstration, we confirmed progress on both the technical and operational fronts toward the social implementation of autonomous trucks, and gained valuable insights into operations and business viability in the context of real-world trunk transport. In a logistics industry facing critical challenges around driver shortages and improving transport efficiency, we believe autonomous driving technology is one of the most promising solutions available. We look forward to seeing Robotruck continue to advance its autonomous driving system and contribute significantly to building a sustainable logistics framework and to elevating the industry as a whole. ORIX Auto will leverage our extensive experience in automotive services and our broad customer base to jointly develop autonomous driving services for logistics operators together with Robotruck."

Hidehiko Tonomura, General Manager, Transportation Business Promotion Division, Senko Co., Ltd.

"Through this demonstration, which included inter-hub transport using autonomous semi-trailers as well as trailer swapping operations that closely mirror real-world logistics, we gained a strong sense of confidence in the path toward social implementation. In particular, we believe it was highly meaningful to have been able to verify operations designed with real trunk transport environments in mind, carried out at actual logistics hubs. Senko will continue to work with all stakeholders to pursue the development of a next-generation trunk transport service that combines relay transport centered on our 'TSUNAGU STATION' hubs with autonomous driving technology, with the goal of achieving the 'ultimate in labor reduction and fastest relay transport.'"

Yusuke Haga, CEO, Robotruck Inc.

"First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the logistics companies who participated with us in this year's demonstration. Our company aims to be a 'systems company' — one that provides autonomous driving systems rather than operating the trucks or logistics operations themselves — creating an environment in which logistics operators can take the lead in building their own service infrastructure. We believe this division of roles is the foundation for a sustainable and scalable next-generation logistics ecosystem. This demonstration gave our partners the opportunity to observe our autonomous driving system in real operational conditions, and revealed concrete challenges and requirements in connecting our technology to on-site operations — insights that we recognize as indispensable for social implementation. Going forward, it will be critical to work with diverse stakeholders — including commercial vehicle manufacturers, logistics real estate developers, insurers, telecommunications carriers, leasing companies, and trading houses — to collaboratively design business models that leverage each party's strengths. Robotruck will continue to refine implementable technology grounded in real-world needs, as a core contributor to the development of autonomous driving systems."

About Robotruck Inc.

• Company Name: Robotruck Inc.
• Headquarters: Odanaka Building, 1-15-11 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
• Representative: Yusuke Haga, CEO
• Founded: April 2024
• Business: Research and development of autonomous driving systems for trucks
• Official Website: https://robotruck.jp/company.html

Press Contact

Robotruck Inc. — Business Development
Email: info@robotruck.jp