TrunkTech

What TrunkTech does

TrunkTech (主线科技, legal entity 主线科技（北京）股份有限公司) is a Beijing-headquartered AI company founded in 2017 by Tsinghua University computer scientist Dr. Zhang Tianlei under the guidance of Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Li Deyi. The company develops a full-stack L4 autonomous driving system for commercial trucks — the AiTrucker system — built on LiDAR + vision multi-sensor fusion, BEV + Transformer deep learning architecture, and its self-developed Trunk ICC high-performance central computing platform. Its product portfolio spans core technology (AiTrucker, Trunk CAFC connected autonomous freight convoy technology), commercial hardware (T-Mover cockpitless autonomous transport robot, T-Truck intelligent truck), and turnkey solutions (Trunk Port for logistics hubs, Trunk Pilot for highway logistics, Trunk City for smart city V2X, plus Trunk FIT fleet management and Trunk GO network freight platform).

TrunkTech serves port and logistics hub operators (Tianjin Port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, Guangzhou Port, Hefei Port, Yantai Port, CNOOC Logistics), highway freight and express delivery companies (Sinotrans, Deppon, ZTO, SF Express, JD Logistics), mining and energy enterprises (Jiuzhou Hengchang, Guanghui Logistics for Xinjiang coal corridor; Beidahu Logistics and China Railway Modern Logistics for grain corridors), and OEMs (First Auto, Sinotruk, Sany, Foton, Beiben, XCMG) into which AiTrucker is embedded for mass deployment. As of late 2025, the company has deployed approximately 1,000 vehicle systems across China, UAE, Singapore, South Korea, Brazil, and Southeast Asia, with cumulative autonomous mileage exceeding 200 million km and over 2 million TEU transported at ports.

The company monetizes through four revenue streams: (1) autonomous truck and hardware sales (AiTruck, T-Mover) via OEM and direct channels; (2) software and technology licensing of AiTrucker to commercial vehicle OEMs; (3) autonomous freight operations (freight-as-a-service) via joint ventures and dedicated corridors; and (4) managed services for port and logistics hub deployments. Pricing is quote-based under multi-year enterprise contracts, with customers ranging from Tier-1 state-owned port authorities to private logistics operators. The company has attracted a broad investor base spanning AI (iFlytek), logistics real estate (GLP, Prologis Unicorn Capital), automotive (Bosch Ventures, NIO Capital, BAIC Industrial Investment), and government-backed funds (Civil Aviation Investment Fund, Shunchuang, Changzhou Zhonglou), and holds a National-level Specialized, Refined, and Innovative Key Little Giant Enterprise designation awarded in 2025.

Name

TrunkTech

Legal name

主线科技（北京）股份有限公司

Website

https://trunk.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TrunkTech (主线科技) is a Beijing-based AI company founded in 2017 that develops L4 autonomous driving systems for commercial trucks, serving port operators, highway logistics firms, and OEMs across China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Trucking Technology

NAICS

Truck Trailer Manufacturing (336212), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Trucking (No Local) (4213), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates) (IMACABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Connected Freight & Trucking Infrastructure (Platooning Support, Smart Corridors) (TLAJAHAK), Automotive / Finished Vehicle & Parts Road Logistics Forwarding (TLACACAK)

Keywords

• Autonomous trucking systems
• L4 commercial vehicle automation
• Port logistics automation
• Highway freight autonomy
• Autonomous convoy technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Haidian

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Truck Sales / Hardware: Sale of intelligent autonomous trucks (AiTruck, T-Mover) and autonomous driving hardware systems (AiTrucker) to commercial vehicle OEMs and end customers including ports, logistics companies, and mining operators. Vehicles are co-developed with OEMs and sold as integrated autonomous driving solutions.
2. Software / Technology Licensing: Licensing of AiTrucker L4 autonomous driving system to commercial vehicle OEMs for integration into mass-produced trucks. Also includes licensing of Trunk CAFC convoy technology and Trunk Port/Trunk Pilot solutions to port operators and logistics companies.
3. Autonomous Freight Operations (Freight-as-a-Service): Providing autonomous freight transportation services using their own fleet of autonomous trucks to logistics customers. Revenue is generated per tonne-kilometer or per container hauled. Examples include operations with 中储智运, 德邦, 申通, 顺丰, and energy transport on routes such as Xinjiang-Coal transport corridors.
4. Managed Services / Smart Port Operations: Long-term managed operations of autonomous transport systems at ports and logistics hubs, including 24/7 monitoring, fleet dispatch, maintenance, and system optimization. Customers pay recurring fees for the integrated hardware-software-service package.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TrunkTech develops and commercializes L4 autonomous driving technology purpose-built for commercial trucks, delivering the AiTrucker autonomous driving system, Trunk CAFC connected convoy technology, T-Mover and T-Truck intelligent vehicles, and turnkey Trunk Port (logistics hubs) and Trunk Pilot (highway freight) solutions. The company sells and licenses its technology to commercial vehicle OEMs and operates autonomous freight transport services for ports, mines, highways, and urban logistics customers.

Product overview

TrunkTech (主线科技) offers a full-stack autonomous driving product portfolio spanning three layers: (1) Core Technology — AiTrucker L4 autonomous driving system and Trunk CAFC connected autonomous freight convoy technology; (2) Commercial Products — T-Mover cockpitless autonomous transport robot and T-Truck intelligent truck; (3) Solutions — Trunk Port (logistics hub driverless transport) and Trunk Pilot (highway autonomous trucking). The company serves logistics hubs (smart ports, mines, crossings, airports), highway freight, and urban transportation, providing turnkey solutions from autonomous vehicles to cloud-based fleet management and dispatch systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AiTrucker: L4 autonomous driving system — an AI-powered virtual driver enabling full autonomous truck operations across multiple vehicle brands and energy types.
• Trunk CAFC
• Trunk Port
• Trunk Pilot
• T-Mover
• T-Truck
• Trunk City
• AiCloud
• NATS (Next-Gen AI Transportation System)
• AiTruck

Products and services

• AiTrucker Autonomous Driving System L4 autonomous driving software and hardware system purpose-built for commercial trucks, acting as an AI virtual driver. Uses LiDAR + visual multi-sensor fusion, BEV + Transformer deep learning, and self-developed Trunk ICC central computing platform. Adapts to multiple truck brands, energy types and logistics scenarios. Licensed to commercial vehicle OEMs and deployed at ports, highways and urban logistics operations.
• Trunk CAFC Connected Autonomous Freight Convoy Connected Autonomous Freight Convoy technology enabling multi-truck platooning with 1 lead vehicle plus N autonomous following vehicles. Supports 3–5 truck convoys with low inter-vehicle spacing and millisecond-level coordinated control. Achieves 18% comprehensive energy savings and 22% carbon reduction through reduced air resistance. Functions as a 'highway train' for trunk-line logistics.
• Trunk Port — Driverless Transport Solution for Logistics Hubs Turnkey unmanned transport solution for logistics hubs including ports, terminals, inland ports, land ports and airport cargo areas. Uses a smart vehicle-smart end-smart cloud three-dimensional architecture covering multiple port business scenarios. Integrates with TOS, WMS, automated shore bridges and yard cranes for fully unmanned 24/7 operations.
• Trunk Pilot — Highway Logistics Autonomous Driving Solution Autonomous trucking solution for highway freight based on leading autonomous trucks plus the Trunk GO intelligent network freight system. Addresses highway logistics challenges across digital efficiency, digital safety and digital cost. Covers express delivery, bulk cargo, cold chain and short-haul transport for logistics customers.
• T-Mover Intelligent Transport Robot Cockpitless (cabless) flatbed autonomous transport robot with L4 driverless system and new energy drive. Self-charging with 120 km range, 1-hour charging, 80-tonne max loading capacity and 36 km/h max speed. Designed for low-speed closed-scene transportation such as ports, logistics parks, dry ports and inland ports.
• T-Truck Intelligent Autonomous Truck L4 self-driving intelligent truck supporting CAFC platooning, both fully driverless and human-machine collaboration modes, autonomous charging/battery swap, and multiple energy types (oil, electricity, gas, hydrogen). Designed for all-scene, all-working-condition, all-weather transportation. Co-developed with OEM partners including First Auto, Sinotruk, Sany, Foton, Beiben and XCMG.

Quantifiable outcome

• Port operation efficiency improved by 15%
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, strategic, supporting, exploratory and core.

• Beidahu Logistics & China Railway Modern Logistics (北大荒物流 & 中铁现代物流)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026TrunkTech signed strategic cooperation in May 2026 with Beidahu Logistics (agricultural logistics 'national team') and China Railway Modern Logistics (railway logistics 'national team') to build the 北粮南运 smart green logistics corridor. Project covers multimodal transport, autonomous trunk transport, and green energy solutions for grain transport from Northeast China to South China.
• UAE Ministry of Economy — NextGen FDI InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025TrunkTech joined the UAE government's NextGen FDI initiative and became the first autonomous trucking company in the Middle East. Plans to establish regional headquarters in the UAE and deliver 2,000 intelligent trucks to Middle East and Africa clients within 5 years. Received full support for fast registration, visa issuance, and financial services.
• PSA International (新加坡国际港务集团)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Strategic cooperation intent signed with the world's leading port operator PSA International to participate in Singapore's LAT (Logistics Automation Hub) project. TrunkTech to provide autonomous trucking solutions for Singapore's automated port logistics.
• Teld New Energy (特来电)strategicTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Strategic partnership signed August 2025 to build intelligent heavy truck green charging network. Teld is the world's leading EV charging network operator with 1,300+ patents and 1,100 R&D staff. Collaboration covers charging infrastructure, automated charging robots, and full-chain digital operations for autonomous electric trucks at ports.
• Jiuzhou Hengchang & Guanghui Logistics (九洲恒昌 & 广汇物流)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Joint venture established in 2026 for the country's first scaled autonomous energy transport corridor in Xinjiang. Jiuzhou Hengchang brings Xinjiang's largest private logistics network (10 million ton annual capacity). Guanghui Logistics operates the Hongnong Railway — core corridor for 疆煤东运 energy transport. Together with TrunkTech's autonomous trucks, building a nationwide autonomous energy transport corridor.
• Changjiu Logistics (长久物流)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic cooperation signed January 2024 with Changjiu Logistics — China's leading third-party automotive logistics company (first A-share listed). Collaboration on autonomous driving data algorithms, intelligent route operations, and new energy heavy trucks for automotive logistics transport.
• Zhongchai Smart Logistics (中储智运)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Strategic partnership and joint venture to build China's next-generation autonomous freight platform. First autonomous freight joint venture in the industry. Plans to build and operate 5,000 autonomous trucks over 5 years. First batch of trucks deployed on Nanjing to Xinjiang coal transport routes.
• TÜV莱茵 (TÜV Rheinland)supportingOthers · 1 January 2023Third-party functional safety certification body. Issued ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety process certification for TrunkTech's AiTrucker autonomous driving system.
• Scandinavian (斯堪尼亚)exploratoryTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Scandinavian commercial vehicle manufacturer visited TrunkTech in October 2023 to discuss autonomous driving technology cooperation and potential joint solutions for global markets. Both companies share aligned values on intelligent and sustainable transport.
• Zhejiang Port Group (浙江海港集团)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ongoing cooperation with Zhejiang Port Group for autonomous driving at Ningbo Zhoushan Port, including the Jintang Area Dafeng container terminal autonomous driving pilot zone. Multiple batches of autonomous ICT trucks deployed for 24/7 driverless mixed-traffic operations.
• China Merchants Highway & Yangtze (招商公路/招商新智)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Cooperation on the Ministry of Transport's first batch pilot project '天津港至马驹桥物流园公路货运自动驾驶先导应用试点' (Tonggang Dayuan). TrunkTech provides autonomous truck convoy technology while China Merchants provides highway infrastructure and network integration.
• Ministry of Transport Waterway Research Institute (交通运输部水运科学研究院)strategicOthers · 1 January 2021Jointly developed the China Navigation Society standard for intelligent container trailers (T/CIN 009-2023) — China's first industry standard for autonomous port trucks.
• Li Deyi (李德毅) — Chief ScientistcoreOthers · 1 January 2017Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, leading expert in command and control, AI, and autonomous driving. Chief Scientist at TrunkTech and doctoral advisor to founder Zhang Tianlei. Won the Wu Wenjun AI Highest Achievement Award 2020. Leads academic research direction.
• Zhang Tianlei (张天雷) — Founder, Chairman & CEOcoreOthers · 1 January 2017Tsinghua University PhD, student of Li Deyi Academician. Secretary-General of CAAI Intelligent Driving Committee. Nearly 20 years of autonomous driving R&D experience. Led development of TrunkTech's core technology.
• Tianjin Port Group (天津港集团)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Flagship strategic partnership from 2017. TrunkTech has been the core autonomous driving technology provider for Tianjin Port, building the world's first smart zero-carbon terminal (Port C), Port Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone, and multiple port automation projects. Hundreds of autonomous trucks deployed.
• Foton Automotive (北汽福田)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development. Foton is one of China's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. Jointly developed and deployed autonomous trucks based on Foton vehicle platforms.
• First Auto Works (一汽解放)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development. First Auto is China's leading heavy truck manufacturer. Jointly developed and deployed autonomous trucks based on FAW vehicle platforms.
• Sinotruk (中国重汽)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development. Jointly developed and deployed autonomous trucks with Sinotruk vehicle platforms.
• Sany Commercial Vehicles (三一重卡)supportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development using Sany commercial vehicle platforms.
• XCMG Group (徐工集团)supportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development using XCMG commercial vehicle platforms.
• Beiben Trucks (北奔重汽)supportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for intelligent autonomous truck development using Beiben commercial vehicle platforms.
• Foton (福田汽车)supportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017OEM partnership for hydrogen fuel cell autonomous trucks including joint development of hydrogen-powered L4 autonomous heavy trucks.
• SAIC Motor (上汽集团)supportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborated on AI-powered smart port solutions. SAIC contributed vehicle platforms and manufacturing capabilities as part of the smart port standard development team.
• Zhenhua Heavy Industries (振华重工)supportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Technology integration partner for smart port construction. ZHI collaborates on crane automation and port equipment integration with TrunkTech's autonomous transport system.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Waymo: Alphabet-owned autonomous driving leader expanding from robotaxis into trucking (Waymo Via). While much larger and broader, it represents a well-capitalized incumbent pursuing the same L4 commercial trucking market.
• Pony.ai: Chinese autonomous driving company with robotaxi focus that has expanded into autonomous trucking. Comparable in autonomous driving technology stack and Chinese market presence, though broader in application scope.

Emerging players

• CiDi (Changsha Intelligent Driving Institute): Chinese autonomous driving company developing L4 mining trucks and specialized autonomous vehicles. Competes with TrunkTech in mining and specialized logistics scenarios with similar OEM partnerships.
• Fabu Technology (FABU): Chinese autonomous driving technology company with focus on commercial vehicles and logistics scenarios. Overlaps with TrunkTech in port and highway applications and competes for similar Chinese enterprise customers.

Direct peers

• Inceptio Technology: Chinese L3/L4 autonomous trucking company that develops full-stack self-driving systems for line-haul trucks. Competes directly with TrunkTech on highway autonomous freight, with similar OEM embedding model and Chinese logistics customers.
• Plus AI: US-based autonomous trucking technology company developing driver-in and driver-out solutions for highway freight. Direct competitor to TrunkTech in the autonomous trucking software stack, focused on OEM integration and fleet retrofits.
• Aurora Innovation: US autonomous trucking company developing the Aurora Driver platform for Class 8 trucks. Direct competitor pursuing commercial driverless highway operations, comparable in autonomy maturity and freight focus.
• Kodiak Robotics: US-based autonomous trucking company focused on highway L4 for long-haul freight. Comparable in targeting commercial driverless trucking operations with similar sensor and compute architecture.
• CreateAI (formerly TuSimple China): Spin-off of TuSimple focused on China-based autonomous trucking development. Most direct China-based competitor, sharing TrunkTech's port and highway focus as well as Chinese port and OEM customer base.

Regional players

• Yutong Bus: China's largest bus and commercial vehicle manufacturer with growing autonomous driving initiatives, including autonomous buses and mining trucks. Comparable as a large Chinese commercial vehicle OEM that competes for similar enterprise and government customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors20 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TrunkTech