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Watch Volvo’s self-driving refuse truck

Volvo and recycling company Renova are testing self-driving technology in Europe

Volvo Group and recycling company Renova are testing a self-driving refuse truck in Sweden that uses sensors that continuously monitor the vehicle’s path and stops the truck immediately if an obstacle appears.

“There is amazing potential to transform the swift pace of technical developments in automation into practical benefits for customers and, more broadly, society in general. Our self-driving refuse truck is leading the way in this field globally, and one of several exciting autonomous innovations we are working with right now,” says Lars Stenqvist, chief technology officer, Volvo Group.

According to Volvo, a route is pre-programmed and the truck drives itself from one stop to the next. The driver, who walks ahead of the reversing vehicle, can focus on collection duties rather than climbing into and out of the vehicle, creating a safer work environment.

You can see the vehicle in action in this video.

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Brian Straight

Brian Straight leads FreightWaves' Modern Shipper brand as Managing Editor. A journalism graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he has covered everything from a presidential election, to professional sports and Little League baseball, and for more than 10 years has covered trucking and logistics. Before joining FreightWaves, he was previously responsible for the editorial quality and production of Fleet Owner magazine and fleetowner.com. Brian lives in Connecticut with his wife and two kids and spends his time coaching his son’s baseball team, golfing with his daughter, and pursuing his never-ending quest to become a professional bowler. You can reach him at bstraight@freightwaves.com.