en.Wedoany.com Reported - South Korean third-party logistics company LX Pantos has expanded its autonomous truck transportation route across the US East and West Coasts from one-way to two-way round-trip operations.

LX Pantos initially partnered with South Korean transportation startup Mars Auto, using Class 8 autonomous trucks operated by the latter to transport automotive parts from Hyundai Mobis from the US West Coast to the East Coast. After building confidence in the safety of autonomous trucks, LX Pantos has now begun transporting construction materials from the East Coast back to the West Coast along the opposite direction to reduce empty mileage.

Through this collaboration, the cross-US route has increased from approximately 3,500 kilometers one-way to over 7,000 kilometers round trip, breaking the previous record for the world's longest autonomous transportation route set by Mars Auto and LX Pantos. The two companies stated that by transporting goods in both directions, they can improve the empty mileage rate. The industry average empty mileage rate is about 16.7%, while they expect to reduce it to approximately 5%.

Lee Beom-in, head of LX Pantos' division, said the company plans to develop a new transportation model by combining the potential of autonomous driving technology verified in actual transportation sites.

Currently, fewer than 100 autonomous trucks are engaged in delivery in the US, and autonomous driving has not yet been widely adopted. Mars Auto did not disclose the specific number of autonomous trucks it operates but claimed to have accumulated 1.2 million miles of autonomous driving mileage. The company's clients also include CJ Logistics, which entered the US market in 2024 and retrofitted three of its trucks with the technology.

Mars Auto CEO Park Il-Soo stated that this is a case confirming the potential to expand safer and more economical autonomous driving in the North American logistics ecosystem. LX Pantos' initiative to transport more goods using autonomous trucks also aligns with the BUILD America 250 Act proposed by the US government in May. The bill includes the first federal framework for autonomous trucks, covering safety standards and performance-based regulations.

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