Goodyear and Gatik announced a multi-year collaboration to advance the development of mobility solutions for the autonomous B2B short-haul logistics industry.

The news release on Sept. 28 says that the collaboration will contribute to safer, more sustainable goods movement while reducing costs for Gatik’s customers in the B2B short-haul market nationwide.

Gatik has established the first autonomous middle mile logistics network in North America and is expanding its fleet of Class 3-6 autonomous box trucks for customers in multiple markets, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Ontario. This national collaboration with tire industry leader Goodyear expands service levels and capacity for both organizations across the U.S.        

Under the collaboration, Goodyear’s venture capital fund, Goodyear Ventures, participated in Gatik’s recently announced Series B funding, and the companies will work on multiple projects. Gatik’s medium-duty fleet will use tires equipped with tire intelligence technology powered by Goodyear SightLine, a suite of tire intelligence solutions, in an effort to improve stopping distances in autonomous commercial vehicles and monitor tire pressure in real time for enhanced safety and reduced wear. As Gatik commercializes its operations at scale, the use of tire intelligence solutions is expected to help reduce fuel and maintenance costs while increasing operational efficiencies for retailers, e-commerce companies, and distributors employing Gatik’s autonomous solution.   

“By leveraging our advanced tire intelligence solutions, Goodyear can help improve vehicle performance and safety in autonomous transportation,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer. “Together, Goodyear and Gatik will combine our innovative technologies to help bring more efficiency in the increasingly important middle mile segment.”

“The benefits of Goodyear’s tire intelligence technology are grounded in enhancing safety, increasing efficiency and reducing costs — principles which are absolutely fundamental to Gatik’s mission and success,” said Arjun Narang, CTO and co-founder, Gatik. “This collaboration will enable us to further increase the value we offer our customers across the continent and help define new standards in safety and sustainability for the B2B short-haul sector.” 

“Gatik’s mission to deliver goods safely and efficiently using autonomous vehicles aligns with our investment strategy, making them a great addition to our portfolio, which already includes key autonomous delivery players in the long-haul and last-mile delivery markets,” said Abhijit Ganguly, managing director, Goodyear Ventures. “We believe this investment is a strong strategic fit for Goodyear as we seek to learn more about the implications of autonomous technologies in middle mile delivery and logistics.”

Gatik also recently partnered with Isuzu to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous delivery fleets.