Hiab and Forterra announce strategic partnership to advance autonomy in load handling

• Hiab and Forterra have entered a strategic partnership to advance autonomous trucking and load handling solutions.

• The collaboration combines Forterra’s modular autonomy platform with Hiab’s automated load handling expertise.

• Forterra brings over a decade of experience in deploying autonomous systems in complex environments, including military logistics.

• The partnership aims to enhance safety, efficiency, and workflow automation in logistics by automating traditionally human-controlled systems.

• Initial efforts will focus on aligning technology roadmaps and advancing integration pathways for autonomous capabilities.

• Hiab’s MULTILIFT Talon container handling unit and Driver Support technology will play a key role in the joint development initiative.

Hiab, a leading provider of smart and sustainable on-road load-handling solutions, and Forterra, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, have signed a strategic partnership agreement to boost development of autonomous trucking and load handling solutions.

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The agreement reflects both companies’ commitment to advancing the future of logistics through intelligent automation. Forterra’s modular autonomy platform, which has been proven in demanding, real-world environments, is being combined with Hiab’s automated load handling solutions and top-of-the-line loading/unloading expertise. The partnership aims to unlock new opportunities across load handling, workflow automation, and coordinated vehicle operations. 

Forterra is the leading provider of autonomous ground systems for defense. Forterra brings more than a decade of experience deploying autonomous systems in complex and unstructured environments, including military logistics, commercial freight, and industrial operations. Forterra’s AutoDrive® system is the most deployed ground autonomy platform in defense.

By automating traditionally human-controlled systems such as cranes and hooklifts, the partnership brings autonomy deeper into the logistics workflow. This shift aims at enhancing safety, improving efficiency, and allowing personnel to transfer to higher-value tasks. The initial collaboration will focus on aligning technology roadmaps and advancing integration pathways. 

“With our advanced MULTILIFT Talon container handling unit, and our Driver Support technology, Hiab is laying the foundation for further advancements in autonomous load handling. We are excited about the prospect of collaborating with Forterra. This joint development will combine Hiab’s expertise in robotics and AI with Forterra’s advanced AutoDrive® platform. Through this joint initiative, our goal is to elevate autonomous capabilities of truck and load handling, ultimately enhancing sustainability and safety of our customers,” says Hermanni Lyyski, President, Demountables and Defence.

“This partnership marks a step in extending autonomy across the entire logistics ecosystem,” says Forterra’s Commercial Vice President Gabe Sganga. “By aligning Forterra’s experience in autonomous systems with Hiab’s expertise in load handling, we are enabling integrated solutions that increase safety, efficiency, and adaptability for customers operating in demanding environments.”