Hanjin said on the 9th that it will launch a paid transport service using Autonomous Driving cargo trucks. After completing a pilot project with a government grants research institute and obtaining a paid cargo transport permit from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, it applied the service to line-haul trucks.
The service will operate three times a week over a 118-kilometer section, using a 25-ton (t) cargo truck from Gunsan Port in North Jeolla, through the Hanjin Jeonju parcel terminal, to the Daejeon mega hub. It is based on Autonomous Driving, but a safety agent will be seated in the driver's seat to intervene if needed.
This service was carried out under the "Saemangeum autonomous transport commercial vehicle demonstration support infrastructure project." Hanjin signed a business agreement in September 2023 with JIAT, LX Spatial Information Research Institute, and the Korea Integrated Logistics Association to carry out the demonstration project.
Hanjin supported actual logistics operation infrastructure and commercial transport volume, providing a practical foundation to verify how Autonomous Driving cargo vehicles can be effectively used in real logistics sites.
JIAT handled the construction of Autonomous Driving demonstration road infrastructure and demonstration vehicles, while the LX Spatial Information Research Institute handled the construction of the Autonomous Driving control system. The Integrated Logistics Association was responsible for building the Autonomous Driving cooperation system and ensuring smooth operations.
Through this project, Hanjin secured a state-of-the-art terminal system equipped with control and perception equipment that enables Autonomous Driving cargo trucks to independently perform processes from entering the parcel terminal and waiting to accessing the loading bay.
It also expects to preemptively secure real-world cargo transport operating know-how targeting the future logistics market by accumulating Autonomous Driving-based transport data and diverse operational experience on actual roads.
A Hanjin official said, "Taking this first commercial transport with Autonomous Driving cargo trucks as an opportunity, we will further strengthen our responsiveness in the future logistics market and accelerate Smart Logistics innovation by applying advanced technologies such as big data and AI in the field."