Goodyear and Gatik have announced a multi-year collaboration with a goal to advance the development of mobility solutions for the autonomous B2B short-haul logistics industry. The companies say the collaboration will contribute to safer, more sustainable goods movement while reducing costs for Gatik’s customers in the B2B short-haul market nationwide. Gatik has established an autonomous middle mile logistics network in North America and is expanding its fleet of Class 3-6 autonomous box trucks for customers in multiple markets, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Ontario.
Under the collaboration, Goodyear’s venture capital fund, Goodyear Ventures, participated in Gatik’s recently announced Series B funding and the companies will work on multiple projects. Gatik’s medium-duty fleet will use tires equipped with tire intelligence technology powered by Goodyear SightLine, a suite of tire intelligence solutions, building upon Goodyear’s existing connected tire management products in an effort to improve stopping distances in autonomous commercial vehicles and monitor tire pressure in real-time for enhanced safety and reduced wear.
As Gatik commercializes its operations at scale, the company says the use of tire intelligence solutions is expected to help reduce fuel and maintenance costs while increasing operational efficiencies for retailers, e-commerce companies and distributors employing Gatik’s autonomous solution.