Pronto signs deal to deploy 100+ autonomous haul trucks at Heidelberg Materials sites

Silicon Valley-based autonomous technology company Pronto announced an agreement with Heidelberg Materials, one of the world’s largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, to deploy Pronto’s Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) to over 100 trucks operating at Heidelberg Materials sites worldwide over the next three years. Under the agreement, Pronto will also become Heidelberg Materials’ exclusive provider of autonomous technologies in North America.

Pronto AHS utilizes advanced artificial intelligence combined with a hardened camera system, avoiding costly, complex sensor technologies such as radar and lidar, resulting in a system that can be deployed in a matter of weeks at a fraction of the cost for competitive systems.

“Implementing industry-leading technologies across our global footprint is an important driver of operational excellence and digital innovation at Heidelberg Materials,” Heidelberg Materials chief technical officer Axel Conrads said in a news release. “We are pleased to partner with Pronto who stood out to us by delivering a reliable solution that will contribute towards improving our production efficiency, enhancing the safety of our employees, and accelerating our sustainability efforts.”

The global agreement follows the 2023 pilot of Pronto’s technologies at Heidelberg Materials’ quarry in Bridgeport, Texas, and the subsequent deployment of Pronto AHS at Heidelberg Materials’ quarry in Lake Bridgeport, Texas on a mixed OEM fleet of haul trucks, which Pronto said it believes to be the first autonomous mixed fleet to enter production in North America.