Dive Brief:
- Einride has launched a proof-of-concept deployment of its SAE Level 4 autonomous trucks in Marysville, Ohio, according to a May 18 press release.
- The cabless, electric trucks will transport goods between warehouses for Ease Logistics, operating on both private property and public roads.
- The trial is an extension of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s $8.8 million Truck Automation Corridor Project, led by DriveOhio in partnership with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The initiative aims to measure the effects of autonomous technology on operations, roadway safety and freight efficiency.
Dive Insight:
Einride’s Ohio deployment marks another gradual expansion of autonomous trucking from closed testing environments into live commercial freight operations.
For Columbus, Ohio-based Ease Logistics, the trial builds on previous autonomous vehicle testing efforts. In 2023, the company participated in DriveOhio’s Rural Automated Driving Systems (ADS) project, which focused on Level 2 truck platooning technology — systems that still require drivers behind the wheel. Ease Logistics tested the platooning technology again on Interstate 70 in 2025.
This latest deployment represents a more advanced use case: Einride’s trucks are fully driverless and designed without a traditional cab.
Instead of onboard drivers, the vehicles are monitored by remote operators who can intervene if necessary.
“Deployments like this help move autonomous trucking from controlled pilots into daily freight operations, where safety, reliability, and efficiency can be evaluated at scale,” said Peter Coratola, president and CEO of Ease Logistics, in the release. He added that partnerships with autonomous technology providers are helping prepare freight networks for broader adoption of next-generation transportation systems.
The pilot also underscores how federal and state governments are positioning the Midwest as a testing ground for freight automation. Ohio and Indiana have invested heavily in connected infrastructure and autonomous corridors — particularly I-70 — in recent years, aiming to attract logistics and mobility companies while improving freight movement across major shipping routes.
This announcement comes roughly two months after Einride secured approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate its driverless trucks in Austin, Texas. The city will be a “core hub” for the Stockholm-based company, CEO Roozbeh Charli said in March.
