A logistics hub with a distribution center for unmanned freight transport is planned to be built in Sverdlovsk Oblast

"The Sverdlovsk Oblast Investment Promotion Agency signed an agreement with TC KIT for the construction of a logistics hub with a distribution center on the M12 highway for unmanned freight transport. It will strengthen the region's role as a major transport hub and create a foundation for the development of future unmanned logistics corridors. The planned investment volume is 500 million rubles, and around 100 jobs will be created," Sverdlovsk Oblast GovernorDenis Pasler wrote on his social media accounts.

The project envisages the creation of a warehouse complex spanning 10,000 square meters and an area for tractors and trailers. The new long-haul freight transport model implies dividing the logistics process into local delivery and pick-up on the first and last mile, and the long-haul leg between hubs using highly automated vehicles (HAVs). This will improve the economic efficiency of transportation and vehicle utilization, reduce dependence on driver shortages, and increase delivery time predictability.

The project will be developed in stages. In the first phase, the hub is planned to be used for operating multi-link road trains, the regulatory framework for which is expected to be established by 2028. The second phase will involve the integration of autonomous tractors as technology, regulation, and infrastructure readiness evolve. Even at the initial stage, the site can be used for conventional long-haul logistics, storage and recoupling of semi-trailers, as well as tractor maintenance.