Traxen Deploys Intuitive, Fuel-Saving iQ-Pilot™ on United Road Services Trucks
PLYMOUTH, Michigan – February 14, 2022 – Traxen announced it was awarded a contract by United Road Services to officially launch production of its iQ-Pilot™, an advanced driver-assistance system for Class 8 traditional, hybrid and electric commercial trucks that can reduce fuel consumption by an average of 10% annually. The 400-unit production contract with United Road Services, the nation’s largest finished vehicle transport company, follows a successful pilot and four-month trial on five trucks that yielded excellent results. It also marks the first production contract for Traxen, a Detroit-based technology company dedicated to maximizing the efficiency of today’s trucking industry.
United Road COO Jason Walker said, “United Road is a technology-solutions driven company, so we welcomed the opportunity to work with Traxen. We have seen significant benefits with the addition of iQ-Pilot™ to our tractors. Besides the significant fuel savings, iQ-Pilot™ helped reduce our carbon emissions and improve safety in ways not currently realized in the auto hauler segment.”
The iQ-Pilot™’s average of 10% improvement in diesel fuel consumption in the U.S. equates to an annual reduction of five billion gallons of fuel or 50 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. This also equates to an average potential cost savings of $6,000 per year on trucks currently in operation.
Beyond fuel savings and emissions reductions, the iQ-Pilot™, formerly known as iQ-Cruise™, improves safety and drivability while significantly reducing maintenance costs for the remaining life of a truck.
Traxen founder and CEO Ali Maleki is pleased with how much the United Road drivers used iQ-Pilot™ during the trial.
“During the trial phase, the United Road team’s use of our intuitive technology averaged significantly higher than the industry average utilization of basic Adaptive Cruise Control. Some drivers utilized the system close to 80%. And in our test fleet of three tractors, we averaged well over 90% utilization and averaged fuel economy increases of 10%,” said Maleki. “We are excited to extend our relationship with the United Road team and have them fully realize the potential of our iQ-Pilot™.”
iQ-Pilot™’s proprietary software and hardware monitors road conditions, changes in elevation, road curvature, traffic patterns and weather conditions miles beyond what operators of Class 8 vehicles can readily see. A driver’s hours of service and time of arrival are additional inputs considered.
Because iQ-Pilot™ uses artificial intelligence (AI) to control the speed of the vehicle based on the factors it regularly monitors, the driver’s primary responsibility is focused on steering. Non-intrusive alerts via Traxen’s user-friendly interface helps keep drivers alert and informed. Human error and fatigue are vastly reduced through the use of this intuitive technology. “Many routes driven are continually repeated,” said Maleki. “Each time iQ-Pilot™ covers a route it navigates that route more efficiently. Improvements realized are then shared with the rest of the fleet.”
Traxen has already begun installing units for United Road and anticipates full installation will be completed within the next 12-18 months.
“Traxen has made significant advancements to the iQ-Pilot™ since it was first introduced, and partners like United Road Services have been able to realize the substantial impact the technology can have on a fleet’s bottom line,” said Mary Petrovich, chair of Traxen’s board of directors. “We are thrilled to enter into this production agreement with United Road and look forward to seeing the proliferation of the iQ-Pilot™’s use throughout the industry in the years to come.”
iQ-Pilot™ is now available to OE truck manufacturers and commercial vehicle aftermarket customers and is currently being piloted by other commercial fleets.
For more information about the technology or Traxen’s pilot program, visit https://www.traxen.com/iq-pilot-system or email info@traxen.ai.
About Traxen
Located in Plymouth, Michigan, and founded in 2018, Traxen is a leader in energy-efficient advanced driver-assistance system technology for the trucking industry. The company is uniquely positioned to impact the safety and savings for fleet managers and owners in a significant way through the application of its AI-enabled auto pilot system, iQ-Pilot™, which reduces fuel consumption by up to an average of 10%, improving an average fleet’s net margin 1.5 times. Traxen also delivers additional benefits including reduced driver costs, improved logistics and actionable data, providing an intuitive solution to some of the biggest challenges facing the trucking industry today.
For more information, visit www.traxen.ai.
About United Road Services
Founded in 1997, United Road is the premier finished vehicle logistics company in North America. Headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, with operating terminals across the U.S. and Canada, the company has over 1,700 employees and operates an integrated national network that includes a total of 2,500 company-owned and independent contractor units as well as 15,000 power units of dedicated third-party vehicle carriers. Each year, coast to coast and across borders, United Road manages the transport of over four million vehicles for all major global vehicle manufacturers, car dealers, remarketers, financial institutions, rental companies, fleet owners, auction and online sellers/buyers, and individuals.
For more information, visit www.unitedroad.com.