Kalmar, Forterra ink deal for autonomous terminal tractors

Kalmar and Forterra recently signed a joint development agreement for autonomous terminal tractor solutions.

Kalmar will be responsible for developing the automation-ready terminal tractor – including the drive-by-wire solution integration – as well as the Kalmar One fleet management system to manage the operation of automated terminal tractor fleets.

Forterra will be responsible for the integration of their AutoDrive platform for autonomous operations for the terminal tractor.

Forterra (formerly RRAI) is a provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. The company has provided autonomous solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense and off-highway commercial applications, and its AutoDrive® system is a driverless system for complex conditions including ports and logistics centres.

Josh Araujo, CEO, Forterra: “This agreement brings together our vast experience in developing world-class autonomous systems and Kalmar’s extensive experience in port and terminal automation with their market-leading terminal tractor product. We believe AutoDrive is the best platform to create a compelling new offering for the container and trailer-handling market.”

Juuso Kanner, Vice President, Automation Business Line, Kalmar: “We believe that there is huge potential in automating terminal tractors in terms of safety and productivity. This development agreement is the next exciting step in our innovation journey after the successful Kalmar RoboTractor pilot done in Norway. Now we will leverage our extensive experience in straddle carrier automation, which has been adopted by a number of leading container terminals around the world.”