UGPTI Research Outlines Market Potential for Autonomous Trucking in the U.S.

Posted: Jul 16, 2025

Research at NDSU’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) provides an overview of the market potential for autonomous trucks in the United States as well as possible benefits and barriers to their implementation. The work was summarized in “The Market Potential of Autonomous Trucks in the United States: An Industry Review,” a paper recently published in the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.

“With autonomous trucks in the early stages of testing on public roads in the United States, this paper provides a comprehensive review of their market potential from the perspective of all involved stakeholders,” said author Ryan Jones, a research specialist with UGPTI and a Ph.D. student in the NDSU Department of Transportation, Logistics and Finance. Coauthors are Pan Lu, director of UGPTI’s Center for Rural Innovations in Sustainable Economies and Freight and professor in NDSU Department of Transportation, Logistics and Finance, and UGPTI Director Denver Tolliver.

While safety improvements, increased fuel efficiency, and reduced costs may be the primary drivers of autonomous truck deployments, public perception may be a significant barrier, Jones said. “The public has to understand and trust that the technology will be used for the benefit of all road users and not just the companies utilizing the technology. At the same time, government agencies will need to determine how to regulate and test autonomous trucking while also ensuring safety.”

The Transportation Research Board is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and focuses on facilitating transportation research, bringing together transportation researchers and practitioners, and advising public policy makers. The Transportation Research Record is one of the most cited and prolific transportation journals in the world.

UGPTI has been building expertise in autonomous trucking, particularly in rural areas, and will host its second Autonomous Trucking Conference, which will focus on the evolution of autonomous trucking in North Dakota and the Northern Plains. The conference will be September 15–16 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND.