Rising Tide at Ningde, Smart Command of a New Port! XCMG Unmanned Tractor Leads

October 26,2026

Breaking Performance Barriers with Digital Intelligence

Driving Transport Upgrades with New Technology

Moving Equipment from Standalone Intelligence to a Driverless Realm

XCMG Turns the Smart Port from Blueprint into Reality

At the Zhangwan operating area of the Sandu'ao port zone in Ningde, containers flow endlessly. XCMG's L4-level new-energy unmanned tractors run around the clock, eliminating visual blind spots with multi-source perception technology and orchestrating operational tempo precisely through algorithms, working in efficient coordination with automated rail-mounted gantry cranes and an intelligent dispatching system to achieve driverless, automatic connection between horizontal transport and yard operations.

Part.01 Smart Coordination Reshapes the Operational Chain

Internal container handling at ports is high-frequency, continuous, and tightly interlinked. Whether vehicles arrive on time and operations proceed smoothly directly determines the overall efficiency of the port zone.

In the Zhangwan operating area, after receiving dispatching instructions, XCMG's new-energy unmanned tractors travel autonomously between the quay and the yard; automated rail-mounted gantry cranes synchronize in real time, while the intelligent dispatching system coordinates fleet trip handovers with hoisting and yard operation rhythms. The transport chain that once relied on human experience is being reshaped and upgraded under this intelligent coordination system.

Xingang Company, a subsidiary of Ningde Port Group responsible for container yard operations in the Zhangwan area, spoke about the partnership: "Building the unmanned tractor fleet together with XCMG is not just about upgrading equipment; it is a 'mutual commitment' by both sides to jointly explore a new model of port logistics."

Part.02 Millisecond Response Safeguards the Safety Bottom Line

In driverless operations, safety is both the premise and the bottom line.

XCMG's L4-level intelligent unmanned tractor integrates LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, and HD cameras to build a multi-layered perception system. Combined with multi-source fusion positioning, scenario-tagged mapping, and path-planning capabilities, the vehicle can identify people, vehicles, and obstacles in complex port environments and decelerate or stop promptly based on on-site conditions.

At the same time, technologies such as EBS+EPB brake-by-wire and remote intervention together form a safety closed loop. The vehicle can complete transport tasks on command and also handle processes such as automatic charging and returning to the depot to unload, ensuring safety runs through the entire process of recharging, driving, parking, and operation.

As explained by the port safety officer, the unmanned tractors add an extra safety barrier for on-site personnel and passing vehicles through intelligent obstacle avoidance and path planning, while gradually moving drivers away from high-intensity, high-risk working environments.

Part.03 Digital Coordination Unlocks Efficiency Gains

In the vehicle-network back office, the system dynamically dispatches vehicles based on the quay's loading and unloading tempo, compressing idle time and reducing empty-mileage through global path optimization, with vehicle location, remaining battery, and operating conditions visible in real time. Capabilities such as self-diagnosis, intelligent battery management, and early fault warnings are shifting maintenance from reactive repairs to proactive, preventive upkeep.

The fleet captain said: "XCMG's unmanned tractors have stable attendance and smooth operational handovers; fleet management has become more streamlined, and overall operational efficiency has improved markedly."

Compared with traditional fuel-powered tractors, this unmanned solution helps cut port operating costs by nearly half, effectively easing the difficulty of recruiting port drivers, reducing exhaust emissions, and lowering the frequency of personnel entering high-risk work zones.

As intelligence and greening converge in depth, XCMG uses technological innovation as an engine to expand the efficiency, safety, and green boundaries of port transport, continuously injecting momentum into the integrated development of ports and industry, and writing a new answer for the low-carbon, intelligent transformation of port logistics.

Source : www.51cm.org

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Tags : XCMG unmanned tractor autonomous port