Episode 193 | Automating the Yard: Outrider's Innovative Approach to Warehouse Efficiency

Ira Renfrew, Chief Product Officer, Outrider joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Outrider is developing autonomous yard operations that improve efficiency, safety, and resiliency for warehouse operations. 

Outrider has developed an innovative autonomous yard truck system that can connect and disconnect trailers autonomously using their patented Trailer Connect technology. Yard automation is as an untapped opportunity for automation that Outrider correctly identified in 2017 when the company was founded by Andrew Smith.

The Outrider stack was designed for mixed traffic environments in warehouse and distribution yards. One of the advancements that has been made since the company was founded is the introduce of their autonomous “glad hand” trailer connection process.

By automating the entire process, Outrider is able to achieve human-level throughput for trailer moves while enabling 24/7 operation and optimization across the yard truck fleet, leading to increased efficiency. 

Closing out the conversation Ira discusses Outrider’s roadmap, scaling plans, the benefits of electrification when combined with autonomy at customer sites, and Outrider’s vision for fully automated supply chains enabled by AI and robotics.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Episode Chapters

0:09 The Evolving Warehouse Automation Market

5:11 Increase Warehouse Efficiency with Autonomous Yard Trucks

8:58 Outrider Market Positioning

12:47 Outrider Tech Stack

22:43 Scaling Outrider

26:05 Trailer Connect

28:42 Fully Automated Supply Chain

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