MENU
SEARCHContrary to some published reports, autonomous platooning developer Locomation is not shutting its doors, according to CEO and Co-founder Çetin Meriçli.
Despite layoffs, autonomous-truck-relay developer Locomation said it has not closed its doors.
Photo: Locomation
Contrary to some published reports, autonomous platooning developer Locomation is not shutting its doors, according to CEO and Co-founder Çetin Meriçli.
“We are not shutting down,” Meriçli told HDT in an email. “In fact, we continue to regularly do 200-mile platooning runs with our human-guided autonomy. We did reduce most of our non-engineering headcount in the face of economic headwinds.”
On Feb. 23, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a news story, “Pittsburgh Driverless Truck Startup Locomation to Close.”
An employee who asked not to be identified told the paper that most of the estimated 80 employees would be out of work by Friday, citing an inability to raise additional investment capital.
"Unfortunately, we had an employee give an unauthorized and inaccurate quote, and despite providing further information, the original story ran anyway," Meriçli said.
Locomation's Autonomous Relay Convoy system consists of two-truck convoys that are electronically tethered. Its Human-Guided Autonomy solution enables one driver to operate the lead truck while a second driver rests in the follower truck, which is operating autonomously. Periodically, the trucks swap places to allow each driver to take turns leading and resting in compliance with federal hours of service regulations. This enables carriers to safely operate two trucks for 20-22 hours per day, delivering double the cargo, faster, and twice the distance.
Wilson Logistics, PGT Trucking, and Stevens Trucking have all been working with Locomation on real-world testing and development of its concept.
Just two weeks ago, Locomation posted a video to its YouTube channel demonstrating how the Autonomous Relay Convoy successfully drove nearly 200 miles roundtrip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Erie, Pennsylvania, using only one active driver in the leader truck and a safety driver in the follower truck.
A 2021 evaluation by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics concluded that compared to traditional Class 8 trucks, trucks equipped with Locomation’s technology would:
reduce the GHG footprint of freight transportation by 22%;
cut operating costs 19%;
decrease fuel consumption 21%;
lower photochemical ozone formation by 22%; and
reduce the GHG abatement cost, or dollars per ton of avoided greenhouse gas emissions, below any of the alternatives considered.
Locomation’s Çetin Meriçli talked to HDT’s Jim Park in this April 2021 episode of the HDT Talks Trucking podcast.
When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.
Read More →
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.
Read More →
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.
Read More →
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.
Read More →
More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.
Read More →
The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.
Read More →
