TuSimple, a self-driving technology company based in San Diego, received 6,775 reservations for a new line of purpose-built SAE Level 4 (L4) International LT Series autonomous trucks in partnership with Navistar.

The self-driving trucks will be equipped with TuSimple’s autonomous driving system and manufactured by Navistar beginning in 2024. Penske Truck Leasing, Schneider, and U.S. Xpress were among the first customers to place reservations.

U.S. Xpress has been working closely with TuSimple for two years to better understand and prepare operations for the arrival of autonomous technologies.

“We have been working with TuSimple since 2019 and we see them as the clear leader in autonomous trucking technology, which is why U.S. Xpress is among the first in line for reservations,” Eric Fuller, president and CEO of U.S. Xpress, said. “Autonomous technology is complementary to other investments we’ve made to broaden our portfolio of services across the supply chain.”

TuSimple and Navistar previously entered a partnership to co-develop L4 autonomous heavy-duty trucks. TuSimple and Navistar will launch a fully integrated engineering solution manufactured by Navistar, targeting production in 2024.

“These early reservation numbers reflect the appetite surrounding self-driving technology in long-haul applications,” Bob Walsh, vice president of emerging technologies, strategy and planning at Navistar, said. “We are happy to partner with TuSimple to offer this integrated autonomous solution to our customers.”

These reservations represent the first wave of customer commitments after TuSimple and Navistar began the reservation process by approaching a select group of large customers.

“Our first wave customers recognize that a TuSimple and Navistar partnership is a winning combination bringing together TuSimple’s industry-leading autonomous technology with Navistar’s world-class engineering and manufacturing capabilities,” Cheng Lu, president and CEO of TuSimple, said. “Autonomous trucks are poised to transform the trucking industry in powerful new ways by setting a new standard for safety while dramatically increasing efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.”

Today, TuSimple’s autonomous freight network operates a fleet of 50 L4 autonomous trucks across the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The company plans to expand the network from coast to coast by 2023 and today transports freight for revenue on highways and surface streets for customers such as UPS, U.S. Xpress and the Arizona Association of Food Banks, among others.