Unmanned KamAZ trucks are slated for testing on the M-11 Neva corridor, according to the Naberezhnye Chelny-based manufacturer. The move marks a milestone in autonomous freight mobility on major federal routes.
In late December, two KamAZ units, the 54901 and 54907 models, completed a preliminary pass along the highway during which the route was mapped and scanned. The company reports ongoing efforts to build a high-precision digital map that will enable the robotized trucks to determine their position with an accuracy of a few centimeters. This digital roadmap aims to include a detailed catalog of road elements such as traffic signs, traffic signals, weather stations, bridges, intersections, curbs, ramps, and other critical features. With this fidelity, the unmanned trucks, as KamAZ describes them, can plan complex maneuvers and optimize their movements on real-world roads. The precise timing of the formal unmanned cargo-transport tests on the M-11 has not been announced by the company.
Parallel tests of autonomous vehicles continue in Tatarstan, with routes linking Naberezhnye Chelny to Kazan and to Nizhnekamsk serving as proving grounds. Since March, KamAZ has been pursuing a program of regular two-vehicle trials along the highway, with plans to add three additional units in the third quarter of the year to expand the test fleet and validate operation across more scenarios.
Earlier in January, KamAZ also shared results from trials of a modernized electric bus, underscoring the company’s broader commitment to advancing electric and autonomous transport technologies. These demonstrations reflect KamAZ’s broader strategy to integrate digital mapping, sensor fusion, and autonomous control to improve safety, efficiency, and reliability in commercial trucking. The company emphasizes that the digital road model will be a cornerstone for route planning, situational awareness, and coordinated vehicle behavior under varying weather and traffic conditions. The work aligns with global industry movements toward higher autonomy levels for freight transport and the pursuit of reduced road congestion and emissions.
Experts note that achieving centimeter-level positioning is essential for safe autonomous trucking, particularly on busy highways where precise lane keeping, speed modulation, and proximity sensing are required for operations without human intervention. The KamAZ program appears designed to test these capabilities under real-world conditions, including overtaking, merging, and responding to dynamic signals and infrastructure changes. The initiative also lays groundwork for potential integration with other smart-road elements, such as digital signage that can adapt to traffic flows or weather-induced advisories, all of which would feed into the vehicle’s planning and execution loop. The ongoing development reflects a broader push among major manufacturers to demonstrate end-to-end autonomy in long-haul applications, coupling vehicle hardware with robust digital environments to support reliable navigation and maneuvering.
As with many automotive technology programs, the timeline for full deployment remains contingent on regulatory approvals, safety validations, and the maturation of supporting infrastructure. Nonetheless, the current phase shows a clear path forward where unmanned cargo vehicles rely on a richly modeled roadway to guide decisions and reduce human workload on challenging routes. This approach could eventually enable operators to move more goods with fewer drivers while maintaining rigorous safety and service standards. The industry will be watching closely to see how these tests influence standards for autonomous commercial transportation across North America and beyond, and how such digital roadmaps can be scaled to other corridors that share similar complexity and traffic density. The KamAZ tests on the M-11 thus represent a meaningful advance in the evolution of self-driving freight, supported by a growing ecosystem of sensors, maps, and intelligent control systems. Attribution: KamAZ official announcements and test program updates