TuSimple has launched what it claims is the world’s first autonomous freight network working with UPS, Penske Truck leasing, U.S. Xpress and supply chain services vendor McLane.

The autonomous freight network will be launched in three phases to roll out a self-driving autonomous network that will be commercially available starting in 2024. The first phase will offer service between the cities of Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The second phase will expand the freight network from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, connecting the east and west coasts. The third phase will expand the operations nationwide throughout the lower 48 states.

“Our ultimate goal is to have a nationwide transportation network consisting of mapped routes connecting hundreds of terminals to enable efficient, low-cost long-haul autonomous freight operations,” said Cheng Lu, president of TuSimple. “By launching the AFN with our strategic partners, we will be able to quickly scale operations and expand autonomous shipping lanes to provide users access to autonomous capacity anywhere and 24/7 on-demand.”

TuSimple said it will then replicate the strategy in Europe and Asia after the U.S. network rolls out nationwide. U.S. Xpress, with a fleet size of 7,000 trucks operating across the country, will provide additional lanes to aid TuSimple’s Level 4 technology.

TuSimple started self-driving truck trials with UPS last year to test the service hauling on more than 1,000 miles of road between Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas. The company has been helping to train drivers for autonomous trucks to give them the skills needed to manage a self-driving truck.

Self-driving trucks are believed to be the next step for logistics because of the ongoing struggle to find workers to meet the demand for commerce that is expanding rapidly. With an aging population of drivers and an increase in demand, self-driving trucks could be used to not just improve delivery efficiency, but to also improve safety for drivers and other traffic on the road.

Additionally, the company is launching TuSimple Connect, an autonomous operations monitoring system for safe autonomous operations, allowing customers to track freight in real-time.

TuSimple said its autonomous trucks are 10% more fuel-efficient than manually driven trucks and, in the future, will be able to operate continuously without hours of service limitations.