Schwarz Group is testing autonomous truck deliveries in Hesse

The Schwarz Group wants to address the shortage of truck drivers with, among other things, autonomous deliveries. To do this, it is testing trucks from the Swedish company Einride in Edermünde near Kassel in Hesse to supply a Lidl branch belonging to the group. At an event in Geisenfeld, Bavaria, she showed the vehicle used and gave details.

“We see enormous potential here,” says Serhan Yildirim from Schwarz Logistic Solutions. “For us, autonomous systems are a promising component in logistics to make supply chains even more resilient and to actively address the acute shortage of skilled workers. The technology supports us - important decisions and responsibility will remain with people in the future."

The current phase is about short to medium distances, as Thomas Dangelmayer from Lidl Germany explains. “For us, it’s about mastering the entire process chain – including loading and unloading at the ramps – in real operation. In this way, we examine step by step how we can optimally integrate future-proof solutions into our overall system.»

Currently only 25 kilometers per hour

The vehicle currently in use is not designed for long distances or driving on highways. In Edermünde you are not allowed to drive faster than 25 kilometers per hour. However, that's not a problem there, because the distance from the goods distribution center to the branch is only 400 meters.

“The technological hurdle in this project is not the number of kilometers, but rather the complexity of the maneuvers in real day-to-day branch operations,” says Dangelmayer. “From turning on public roads to crossing the parking lot to driving to the loading ramp.”

The vehicle is not yet completely autonomous: “In the current pilot phase, the loading and unloading of the goods is still carried out manually by the accompanying local operator,” says Dangelmayer. “This is an Einride employee who accompanies the vehicle and can intervene via remote control in exceptional situations.”

Deliberately chose Germany for the test

Dangelmayer sees the complex regulatory requirements as a key challenge for autonomous logistics. In addition, the autonomous truck must fit seamlessly into the physical and digital processes at our loading docks and branches.

According to Yildirim, the Schwarz Group deliberately chose Germany for the pilot test. “The German regulatory environment with the strict requirements of TÜV and the Federal Motor Transport Authority is extremely demanding,” he says. «By setting ourselves up for these standards, we are creating a solid basis and want to become pioneers for the entire industry in Europe. The next step is to use the test operation to create reliable standards for scalable transport systems.”