Latest news with #SafetyAdvisoryCouncil
National Post
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- National Post
Gatik Establishes Safety Advisory Council, Taps Former US Department of Transportation Leadership and Executives From Trucking and Automotive Industries to Guide Safety Strategy
Article content Safety Advisory Council members will provide independent, strategic guidance to Gatik on its approach to the safe deployment of commercial Freight-Only (driverless) operations across North America Article content Article content MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, today announced the formation of its Safety Advisory Council, bringing together a diverse group of industry experts to support the safe development and deployment of Gatik's autonomous technology. Gatik's Safety Advisory Council will exist as an independent layer of review beyond the company's extensive existing internal and external measures and processes, reinforcing Gatik's commitment to transparency, accountability, and independent validation of its autonomous solution. Inaugural members of the Council bring a wealth of experience from both the government and private sectors, including former leadership from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and former Executives from U.S. Xpress, SAE International and Toyota Research Institute. Article content Council members will provide strategic guidance to Gatik's Internal Safety Review Board on the company's enterprise safety approach, including safety culture, processes, protocols, technology, training, and partnerships. The Council will also play an important role in educating Gatik's key stakeholders by sharing information about the company's approach to safety with government agencies, law enforcement, safety experts, academia, customers, and the general public. Article content 'Transparency breeds trust, and the establishment of Gatik's Safety Advisory Council adds yet another layer of independent validation to our rigorous and robust approach to safety,' said Gautam Narang, Gatik's CEO and co-founder. 'The inaugural members include some of the industry's most respected and trusted experts in transportation safety and policy, bringing more than 170 years of combined experience and expertise to help guide the implementation of Gatik's safety strategy as we roll-out Freight-Only operations at scale.' Article content Appointees to Gatik's Safety Advisory Council are: Article content Mark Rosekind, Ph.D. – Dr. Rosekind was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the 15th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), serving from 2014 to 2017. Prior to NHTSA, Dr. Rosekind served as the 40th member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 2010 to 2014. Dr. Rosekind was also Chief Safety Innovation Officer at Zoox from 2017-2022 and previously directed the Fatigue Countermeasures Program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, and was Chief of the Aviation Operations Branch in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division. Dr. Rosekind is an internationally recognized expert on human fatigue. Dr. Rosekind earned his A.B. with honors from Stanford University, his M.S., and Ph.D. from Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Medical School. Article content Jack Van Steenburg – Van Steenburg served the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for 15 years, holding the titles of Executive Director and Chief Safety Officer. Before joining FMCSA he served in the New York State Police for 25 years and rose through the ranks of Trooper to Staff Inspector. He also served as the elected President of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and participated on their executive committee for a decade. He holds an Associate's degree in Criminal Justice, Bachelor's degree in Accounting, and a Master's degree in Public Administration. Article content Jane Lappin – Lappin is the co-founder and organizer of the Automated Road Transportation Symposium, and immediate past chair of the National Academies of Engineering Transportation Research Board Vehicle-Highway Automation Committee. Lappin recently retired as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Toyota Research Institute, and previously worked for the U.S. DOT Volpe Center. Lappin served as U.S. DOT secretariat to the trilateral US-EU-JPN ITS Steering Committee, and as the U.S. co-chair of the US-EU-Japan Automation in Road Transportation Working Group. Lappin studied sociology as an undergraduate at Boston University and earned an MBA from the Simmons College Graduate School of Management, the world's only all women's business school. Article content Eric Fuller – Fuller is the former CEO of U.S. Xpress, where he led the company from 2017 until its sale to Knight-Swift Transportation in 2023. Prior to becoming CEO, Eric held numerous operational leadership roles across the company, building a strong foundation in logistics, operational safety, and team management. A longtime advocate for innovation, Eric has been an early supporter of autonomous technology in commercial trucking and has served on multiple boards and in advisory roles for companies advancing autonomous and adjacent technologies. Article content Carla Bailo – Bailo is the past President and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management with 45 years of experience in the automotive industry. Bailo recently finished her term as President of SAE International, and was previously the assistant vice president for mobility research and business development at The Ohio State University. She also has 25 years of experience at Nissan North America, Inc., where she served as senior vice president of research and development, and spent 10 years at General Motors. She has a MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. Article content 'This esteemed group of industry leaders have dedicated their careers to advocating for safer public roadways, so we're honored that they've chosen to partner with Gatik as we enter our next phase of rapid growth,' said Dr. Adam Campbell, Head of Safety at Gatik. 'Our shared belief is that the future of road safety will be led by widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles. This means that Gatik's Safety Advisory Council is ideally positioned to guide and inform our approach to safety as we deploy thousands of commercial autonomous trucks in the months and years ahead.' Article content Establishing a Safety Advisory Council is part of Gatik's ongoing commitment to independent, third-party assessment of its technology. Last year, Gatik unveiled the scope of its Safety Assessment Framework for Freight-Only (driverless) operations across North America, by committing to launching Freight-Only operations at scale only once it satisfies the most rigorous evaluation ever performed on an autonomous driving system by independent third parties. This industry-first initiative underscores Gatik's dedication to setting the highest standards possible for safety in autonomous trucking, and ensures that all key stakeholders, including customers, federal, state and local government partners, the first responder community and the general public have confidence in the independently verified safety of Gatik's technology and deployment practices. The assessment encompasses over 700 identified safety portfolios and will address the following key pillars of autonomous vehicle safety: organizational safety culture, engineering quality (functional, behavioral and operational safety of the self-driving system), cyber security, vehicle safety, and safety sase conformity to UL4600 and other standards. Article content As part of the company's commitment to transparency across all aspects of its approach to safety, Gatik will be publicly sharing information on progress made towards completion of the Safety Assessment Framework prior to deployment of Freight-Only operations. Article content About Gatik Article content Gatik AI Inc., the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing B2B supply chains by enabling safe, consistent, high-frequency freight movement. Gatik's AI-Driven Autonomy is transforming short-haul logistics for Fortune 500 retailers, and in 2021 the company launched the world's first driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's medium-duty autonomous trucks are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, and Ontario. Gatik partners with industry leaders including Isuzu Motors, NVIDIA, Cummins, Ryder, and Goodyear. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous technology industry, the company has offices in Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Bentonville and Toronto. Article content This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, statements regarding future business strategies, plans, objectives, and anticipated performance. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Gatik and are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Article content Factors that could impact these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in market conditions, economic factors, competitive dynamics, regulatory developments, and unforeseen operational challenges. Gatik undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Experienced Safety Leaders Join New Gatik Safety Advisory Council
Gatik autonomous "Freight Only" trucks are coming to U.S. roads later this year. Gatik, a key player in autonomous middle-mile logistics, today announced the formation of a Safety Advisory Council, which brings together a diverse group of industry experts to support the safe development and deployment of Gatik's autonomous technology. Gatik's Safety Advisory Council will exist as an independent layer of review beyond the company's extensive existing internal and external measures and processes, reinforcing Gatik's commitment to transparency, accountability, and independent validation of its autonomous solution. Inaugural members of the Council bring a wealth of experience from both the government and private sectors, including former leadership from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and former executives from U.S. Xpress, SAE International, and the Toyota Research Institute. Council members will provide strategic guidance to Gatik's Internal Safety Review Board on the company's enterprise safety approach, including safety culture, processes, protocols, technology, training, and partnerships. The Council will also play an important role in educating Gatik's key stakeholders by sharing information about the company's approach to safety with government agencies, law enforcement, safety experts, academia, customers, and the general public. 'Transparency breeds trust, and the establishment of Gatik's Safety Advisory Council adds yet another layer of independent validation to our rigorous and robust approach to safety,' said Gautam Narang, Gatik's CEO and co-founder. 'The inaugural members include some of the industry's most respected and trusted experts in transportation safety and policy, bringing more than 170 years of combined experience and expertise to help guide the implementation of Gatik's safety strategy as we roll-out Freight-Only operations at scale.' Gatik's Safety Advisory Council Members The five individuals chosen by Gatik cover a broad swath of expertise relevant to fielding autonomous trucks. Safety across many facets of freight movement are represented in the new Gatik Safety Advisory ... More Council. Mark Rosekind, Ph.D. - Dr. Rosekind was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the 15th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), serving from 2014 to 2017. Prior to NHTSA, Dr. Rosekind served as the 40th member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 2010 to 2014. Dr. Rosekind was also Chief Safety Innovation Officer at Zoox from 2017-2022 and previously directed the Fatigue Countermeasures Program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, and was Chief of the Aviation Operations Branch in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division. Dr. Rosekind is an internationally recognized expert on human fatigue. Dr. Rosekind earned his A.B. with honors from Stanford University, his M.S., and Ph.D. from Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Medical School. Significantly, under Dr. Rosekind leadership at NHTSA, the first USDOT 'Federal Automated Vehicles Policy' was published. This 116-page document put forth the Agency's stance on a variety of key topics. Most significantly, the SAE J3016 Levels of Automation were endorsed, and NHSTA requested a 'Safety Assessment Letter' from system developers which resulted in many startups 'lifting the veil' a bit in those early days. This move laid out a path which resulted in two additional USDOT policy documents in the subsequent Administration, which were pivotal in launching the push to autonomous trucks. Jack Van Steenburg – Van Steenburg served the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for 15 years, holding the titles of Executive Director and Chief Safety Officer. Before joining FMCSA he served in the New York State Police for 25 years and rose through the ranks of Trooper to Staff Inspector. He also served as the elected President of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and participated on their executive committee for a decade. He holds an Associate's degree in Criminal Justice, Bachelor's degree in Accounting, and a Master's degree in Public Administration. Jane Lappin – Lappin is the co-founder and organizer of the Automated Road Transportation Symposium, and immediate past chair of the National Academies of Engineering Transportation Research Board Vehicle-Highway Automation Committee. Lappin recently retired as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Toyota Research Institute and previously worked for the U.S. DOT Volpe Center. Lappin served as U.S. DOT secretariat to the trilateral US-EU-JPN ITS Steering Committee, and as the U.S. co-chair of the US-EU-Japan Automation in Road Transportation Working Group. Lappin studied sociology as an undergraduate at Boston University and earned an MBA from the Simmons College Graduate School of Management, the world's only all women's business school. Eric Fuller – Fuller is the former CEO of U.S. Xpress, where he led the company from 2017 until its sale to Knight-Swift Transportation in 2023. Prior to becoming CEO, Fuller held numerous operational leadership roles across the company, building a strong foundation in logistics, operational safety, and team management. A longtime advocate for innovation, Fuller has been an early supporter of autonomous technology in commercial trucking and has served on multiple boards and in advisory roles for companies advancing autonomous and adjacent technologies. Carla Bailo – Bailo is the past President and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management with 45 years of experience in the automotive industry. Bailo recently finished her term as President of SAE International and was previously the assistant vice president for mobility research and business development at The Ohio State University. She also has 25 years of experience at Nissan North America, Inc., where she served as senior vice president of research and development, and spent 10 years at General Motors. She has a MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. 'This esteemed group of industry leaders have dedicated their careers to advocating for safer public roadways, so we're honored that they've chosen to partner with Gatik as we enter our next phase of rapid growth' said Dr. Adam Campbell, Head of Safety at Gatik. 'Our shared belief is that the future of road safety will be led by widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles. This means that Gatik's Safety Advisory Council is ideally positioned to guide and inform our approach to safety as we deploy thousands of commercial autonomous trucks in the months and years ahead.' Establishing a Safety Advisory Council is part of Gatik's ongoing commitment to independent, third-party assessment of its technology. Last year, Gatik unveiled the scope of its Safety Assessment Framework for Freight-Only (driverless) operations across North America, by committing to launching Freight-Only operations at scale only once it satisfies the most rigorous evaluation ever performed on an autonomous driving system by independent third parties. As Gatik puts it, this industry-first initiative underscored their dedication to setting the highest standards possible for safety in autonomous trucking, and ensures that all key stakeholders, including customers, federal, state and local government partners, the first responder community and the general public have confidence in the independently verified safety of Gatik's technology and deployment practices. The assessment encompasses over 700 identified safety portfolios and will address the following key pillars of autonomous vehicle safety: organizational safety culture, engineering quality (functional, behavioral and operational safety of the self-driving system), cyber security, vehicle safety, and safety conformity to UL4600 and other standards. Gatik notes that their team will be publicly sharing information on progress made towards completion of the Safety Assessment Framework prior to deployment of Freight-Only operations. Logistics For Local Freight Founded in 2017, Gatik AI is one of the stalwarts amongst the autonomy companies bringing driverless tech to real-world applications. The company is focusing on middle-mile logistics. In 2021 Gatik launched the world's first driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's medium-duty autonomous trucks are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, and Ontario. Gatik is providing these freight services for Fortune 500 retailers, including Georgia-Pacific, KBX, Kroger, Loblaw, Pitney Bowes, Tyson, and Walmart. Gatik also partners with key industry suppliers including Isuzu Motors, NVIDIA, Cummins, Ryder, and Goodyear. Advisory Councils Are Key To Deployment Advisory councils are "de rigueur" for such a revolutionary technology as autonomous driving. In 2020, formed an Advisory Board consisting of veterans of the truck manufacturing industry. In 2021, Aurora established an Industry Advisory Council to advise on topics including go-to-market and regulatory strategies. The Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) was launched in 2022. At the time, Torc said 'the TAAC is comprised of key freight industry players who will provide strategic guidance to Torc as it integrates with the freight network and tackles challenges beyond highway driving.' Kodiak established a Trucking Industry Advisory Council in 2024, with members coming primarily from the trucking industry. Earlier this year, Bot Auto formed a Strategic Advisory Board, bringing in leaders across transportation, innovation, policy and finance. Gatik's move is very much in-line with these earlier initiatives, but there's more. Only Gatik has established an advisory group focused specifically on safety. And apparently the Council has teeth, existing 'as an independent layer of review' beyond the company's existing measures and processes, which include independent validation of its autonomous solution. It's hard to argue with an autonomy deployment approach which includes external validation to bolster and verify even the most thorough internal processes. Disclosure: Richard Bishop is an Advisor to and/or an equity holder in the following companies mentioned in this article: Aurora, Gatik, Plus.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
HopSkipDrive Deepens Commitment to Youth Safety Through Expert Advisory Council
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2025-- HopSkipDrive, a technology company that has raised the bar for safety, access, and care in supplemental student transportation for more than a decade, today announced the formation of a dedicated Safety Advisory Council, bringing together a diverse group of six safety experts to help guide the company's ongoing innovation in youth transportation safety. Their insights will directly inform HopSkipDrive's product development roadmap as the company continues to launch and expand services for students with specialized transportation needs. The Safety Advisory Council represents the company's deepened commitment to remaining at the forefront of safety innovation and transparency, and will enable HopSkipDrive to set new industry standards for specialized transportation products and features that support the diverse needs of all students. Recognizing that comprehensive safety encompasses multiple factors–from road safety to interpersonal safety–HopSkipDrive has assembled the council to address every aspect of the safe ride experience. Comprising of experts from across essential safety disciplines, the council brings together the following leaders: 'Safety is a multifaceted challenge that requires diverse perspectives and specialized expertise,' said Jen Brandenburger, SVP of Safety at HopSkipDrive. 'By assembling this council of respected leaders, we're ensuring that our safety features, policies, and educational initiatives benefit from the latest research and best practices from across disciplines. Our goal is to keep aiming higher for what's possible in youth transportation safety, so that families and schools can focus on helping students thrive.' The council's formation comes on the heels of HopSkipDrive's 2024 Safety Report and the announcement of new features which bolster its suite of over 50 safety products and initiatives. The company's annual Safety Report–which includes metrics on road safety, interpersonal safety, and violations of its Community Guidelines–highlights the scalability of the company's industry-leading safety record and outlines its work to build safety into everything it does. Last year, 99.7% of the 1.7 million HopSkipDrive rides ended without a safety concern of any kind, with CareDrivers completing an unprecedented 34 million safe miles while serving students across 14 states. These metrics demonstrate that the company's multilayered safety systems work effectively across diverse regions, from dense urban neighborhoods to rural communities, and everywhere in between. 'As an organization dedicated to keeping children safe, Safe Kids Worldwide recognizes that transportation safety requires a comprehensive approach that addresses all aspects of a child's journey. Through the Safety Advisory Council, we're combining expertise across multiple disciplines to advise on products and policies that help protect all children, particularly those with specialized needs,' said Cass Herring, Senior Director of Road Safety and Child Occupant Protection at Safe Kids Worldwide. 'Working with HopSkipDrive, a company purpose-built for facilitating safe rides for children since day one, we're establishing new benchmarks for youth transportation safety that will not only benefit the students and districts who use HopSkipDrive, but will ultimately elevate standards across the entire industry.' The Safety Advisory Council will bring fresh perspectives and specialized insights to HopSkipDrive's robust safety ecosystem. By collaborating with leading voices in road safety, interpersonal safety, child development, and youth advocacy, HopSkipDrive will continue to refine and enhance its approach to innovating in safety. The council will play a crucial role in guiding HopSkipDrive's expansion of wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) rides, elevating its support for all students with diverse transportation needs, and further strengthening the company's Safe Ride InSight™ technology, its programmatic AI-powered dashcam recording technology with advanced telematics. This expert-informed approach will help ensure that as the company grows to serve more diverse student needs, its commitment to safety scales alongside its expanding capabilities. This initiative represents another milestone in HopSkipDrive's unwavering commitment to create opportunity for all through mobility. By bringing these leaders together with its team of experienced safety professionals, HopSkipDrive is continuing to redefine what safe, reliable student transportation can help achieve, ensuring every student has access to the educational opportunities they deserve, while giving schools and families the peace of mind that comes with truly exceptional safety standards. About HopSkipDrive HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, access, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry through two core solutions: a care-centered transportation marketplace and industry-leading routing software, RouteWise AI™. HopSkipDrive's marketplace supplements school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids to highly vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses in local communities. RouteWise AI helps schools and districts address critical challenges, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive has supported over 10,000 schools across 17 states, with over 600 school district partners. More than five million rides over 95 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers. View source version on CONTACT: Media Contact: [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY CHILDREN TRANSPORT SOFTWARE CONSUMER DATA MANAGEMENT PRIMARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: HopSkipDrive Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/08/2025 10:00 AM/DISC: 05/08/2025 09:59 AM
