Einride, the largest operator of electric fleet trucks in Europe, recently launched operations in the U.S. in New York, looking to disrupt the most competitive freight industry in the world.

The company developed an electric, autonomous flatbed ‘pod’ that can be controlled from anywhere through a remote station. The flatbed fits standard shipping containers and is customizable.

The company brought its truck to the SXSW 2022 conference in Austin, Texas, along with the remote station from which operators can control these pods. Each operator can be responsible for as many as 10 vehicles at a time.

Einride hopes to create a new category of truck operators – those who work regular hours in an office close to home instead of employing drivers who spend hours alone on the road.

The pods are not built with space for human drivers.

In the U.S., Einride counts as its customers GE Appliances and Bridgestone, among other customers.

It set up regional offices in Austin with plans to open its U.S. headquarters in New York. Other regional offices will be the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

This article first appeared in IoT World Today’s sister publication AI Business.