Automating a lift truck fleet can sound like a complicated and expensive undertaking. Hyster is trying to make the process more approachable with a new portal that lets users set up and adjust automated lift truck routes without coding.

The Hyster Atlas automated lift truck portal recently picked up two product awards, including a GOOD DESIGN award in the robotics category and the AGV Solution of the Year honor from the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards.

Launched in September 2025, the portal is designed to help manufacturing and material handling operations introduce automation without a large upfront investment or the need for software engineering experience. Hyster says automated lift trucks can be implemented in as little as one day using the system.

Setting Up Routes Without Coding

One of the main features of Hyster Atlas is its drag-and-drop approach to creating routes.

Instead of programming an automated truck, a user can manually drive it through a facility. As the truck moves, the system automatically creates waypoints along the route.

If the route needs to change, users can drag those waypoints to new locations. The process is designed to make adjustments simple enough for workers who don't have a background in software engineering.

That simplicity is intentional.

“With the demands placed on material handling operations, the last thing teams need is technology that’s complex and cumbersome to use,” said Noah Salmonson, product manager of automation at Hyster. “The automated lift truck portal was created to amplify what teams can accomplish, not leave them buried in complicated software.”

More Than Just Automated Driving

The Hyster Atlas system is designed to handle more than moving a truck along a predetermined path.

The company's first automated lift truck, an automated tow tractor, can work with different cart styles and includes automated hitch and unhitch capabilities. The system also includes wireless charging, allowing the truck to return to a charging station when it needs power without requiring an operator or supervisor to step in.

Hyster also separates the automation components from the standard lift truck. That setup allows the automation system to be updated or adjusted without interfering with other truck components and is intended to simplify servicing through the Hyster dealer network.

For facilities considering automation, that could make a difference. The technology isn't being positioned as a system that requires a complete overhaul of existing equipment and processes.

A Different Way to Pay for Automation

Cost can be another hurdle for companies looking to automate material handling operations.

Rather than requiring a large purchase upfront, Hyster offers Atlas through a rental model. The costs are combined into a single monthly fee, giving operations a chance to use the automated equipment in their own facilities without making a major initial investment.

That approach gives companies another way to test automation before committing to a larger deployment.

For facilities dealing with labor demands or repetitive material movement, the appeal may be less about replacing existing equipment and more about finding a practical way to add automation without making the process overly complicated.

The two recent awards put attention on that approach, recognizing a system built around making automated lift trucks easier to implement, adjust and operate.