Heidelberg Materials has autonomously hauled more than two million tons of limestone at its Lake Bridgeport quarry in Texas using Pronto’s Autonomous Haulage System. The milestone, achieved in under eight months, marks the first fully autonomous mixed-fleet quarry operation in North America.
Highlights
- Mixed-fleet breakthrough: Caterpillar 775G trucks operate alongside Komatsu HD605-8 and HD605-10 models on a single autonomous platform
- Vision-only navigation: The system uses cameras and AI without lidar, radar, or rigid pre-mapping
- Rapid scaling planned: Heidelberg Materials will expand autonomous haulage to over 100 trucks across operations in North America, Europe, and APAC
Mixed-Fleet Autonomy Reaches Production Scale
The Lake Bridgeport deployment represents a technical milestone for the aggregates industry: simultaneous autonomous operation of equipment from different manufacturers on a unified system. The fleet combines Caterpillar 775G rigid frame trucks with Komatsu HD605-8 and next-generation HD605-10 models.
“True scalability in the aggregates industry requires the ability to automate the iron you already own,” said Anthony Levandowski, CEO of Pronto. “By successfully running a mixed fleet of Cat and Komatsu trucks on Pronto AHS, we have proven that autonomy is no longer a ‘one-brand’ luxury.”
Vision-Based Navigation System
Pronto’s AHS relies on a proprietary vision-only approach, using cameras and artificial intelligence to navigate dynamic quarry environments. The system eliminates dependence on lidar, radar, or rigid pre-mapping infrastructure.
Key operational capabilities include:
- Dynamic zone management: Trucks autonomously adapt to changing loading and dumping points without engineering intervention
- Safety redundancy: Lightweight “Rover” transponders coordinate autonomous haulers with manned vehicles and equipment
- Efficiency gains: Optimized driving patterns reduce fuel consumption and extend tire life
Global Expansion Underway
The Lake Bridgeport success validates the commercial foundation for a global agreement announced in February 2025. Heidelberg Materials plans to deploy Pronto AHS to more than a dozen sites across North America, Europe, and APAC.
“Our partnership with Pronto not only contributes to enhancing efficiency and safety at our sites, but it also helps us address recruiting challenges while further accelerating our sustainability efforts,” said Scott Tipping, Global Director Competence Center Aggregates & Asphalt at Heidelberg Materials.
Learn more about Pronto at www.pronto.ai.
Sign up for our weekly emails to stay up to date on the latest news!
