TFI’s autonomous LTL linehaul logic is sound, analysts say

Key Takeaways

• TFI International plans to introduce autonomous Class 8 trucks in LTL linehaul operations in 2027 with an undisclosed technology developer.

• Analysts said predictable highway routes favor automation, though cost-effectiveness depends on route length, freight volume, utilization and limited empty miles.

• Saia emphasized safety applications, while Old Dominion questioned per-mile technology costs and said it would not lead autonomous truck investment.

Plans by TFI International to initially roll out autonomous Class 8 trucks in its less-than-truckload linehaul operations are logical for a carrier with such ambitions, according to independent analysts.

However, one prominent industry executive is skeptical about the cost-effectiveness of the application.

TFI is working with an as-yet-undisclosed autonomous truck developer ahead of the technology’s introduction in LTL linehaul and then perhaps wider use, Chief Financial Officer David Saperstein told analysts during the carrier’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call July 27. The technology had improved a lot faster than the executive and his peers expected.

It makes sense to start in linehaul, given the few touch points, multiple sources said.

“This approach concentrates automation in the operating environment where it currently has the greatest advantages,” said Arman Sargolzaei, director of the University of South Florida’s Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems research group.

“The terminal-to-terminal linehaul portion is particularly attractive because routes are predictable, frequently traveled and largely highway based,” he added.

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Montreal-based TFI, which ranks No. 6 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and whose LTL unit ranks No. 8 in the segment, envisions rolling out self-driving trucks in 2027 in its LTL linehaul operations.

Saperstein, a former investment banker, lauded the benefits of introducing autonomous trucks on the call, noting their ability to operate for many more hours than a human driver and with greater fuel efficiency. In addition, driver turnover would be minimized.

LTL linehaul offers the greatest initial benefits for a carrier such as TFI, which also ranks No. 3 in the truckload segment of the freight market, sources told TT.

“I would say the cardinal rule of robotics in general is that you want to limit the operational design domain, what they call the ODD. That’s like the term of art in the industry,” Spencer Penn, CEO of procurement supply chain technology developer LightSource, said in an interview.

On the driving-difficulty spectrum, highway driving sits at the easy end because pedestrians and bicycles typically are absent, lanes are consistent, signage is mostly clear and long stretches often require little maneuvering, added the former Tesla and Waymo executive.

Autonomous truck developers including Aurora Innovation, Kodiak Robotics and Plus AI have worked in the hub-to-hub space that translates to the terminal-to-terminal linehaul operations model.

The economics of autonomous LTL linehaul operations depend on route length, freight volume and utilization, according to observers.

Dense, repeatable linehaul lanes would be cost-effective, said SemiCab Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder Vivek Sehgal, but local operations would not necessarily be.

“The economics depend on keeping the truck moving and loaded. If it spends time waiting at terminals or running empty, you have automated the truck without fixing the underlying inefficiency,” said Sehgal, whose company’s artificial intelligence-driven platform aids freight network optimization.

TFI is not the only carrier working with an autonomous truck developer. Carriers such as Schneider, Werner Enterprises and Hirschbach Motor Lines — which rank Nos. 10, 19 and 58 on the for-hire TT100, respectively — have all publicly recognized collaborations with developers.

But Saperstein’s public comments were more detailed and candid than those he or his peers typically make. The executive went so far as to suggest autonomous trucks would stimulate significant consolidation among for-hire carriers.

Analysts picked up on the comments, questioning executives of other publicly traded LTL carriers during their earnings calls. Those executives were not as enthusiastic as Saperstein but saw benefits.

“The near-term technology [focus] in the business for us is really about safety … collision avoidance. Some of the technology deployed in an autonomous application would be fantastic, even if you had a driver enabled or a driver on board, that autonomous sort of technology would be fantastic as a collision avoidance technology,” Fritz Holzgrefe, Saia CEO, told analysts July 30 during the carrier’s earnings call.

Johns Creek, Ga.-based Saia ranks No. 18 on the TT for-hire Top 100 and No. 6 in the LTL segment of the freight market. Old Dominion Freight Line ranks No. 11 on the for-hire TT100 and No. 2 among LTL carriers.

ODFL Chief Financial Officer Adam Satterfield said July 29 that the carrier would keep an eye on self-driving truck developments, but the Thomasville, N.C.-based fleet would not be on the leading edge of investment.

“One of the things that people have got to consider … is what’s the cost of the technology on a per-mile basis?” Satterfield said during the company’s Q2 investor call, noting ODFL employs trucks for pickup and delivery (P&D) during the day and linehaul at night.

“If you’ve got to pay the technology provider, I don’t think that autonomous vehicle would be more for linehaul application. You either are buying specific P&D units that’s going to drive your unit cost up or you’re paying for a mileage where you’re not really using and leveraging the technology,” he added.