Scania, and Australian company Fortescue, have agreed to develop and validate jointly a fully integrated autonomous road train solution.

The global mining industry is transforming, and autonomous solutions are receiving more attention. The autonomous solution will be developed, tested and validated in partnership at Fortescue’s iron ore operations in Christmas Creek, Queensland.

With Scania’s technology in truck automation, the autonomous solution will be integrated with Fortescue’s Fleet Management System (FMS) designed to optimize fleet utilization and maximize productivity, while ensuring efficient fuel and energy consumption to reduce carbon emissions.

The solution will also integrate Scania’s onboard autonomation hardware and technology for the Scania R770 prime mover platform, coupled with three trailers weighing 120 tonnes with a payload of 240 tonnes.

Scania Australia has been working closely with Fortescue for many years, and is pleased to see this joint development project become a reality.

Their heavy haul trucks operate in an incredibly harsh environment. The local and global mining specialists have devised a solution that will bring efficiency and safety.

—Robert Taylor, Head of Mining at Scania Australia