Uber expands driverless truck deal with Aurora, with new Texas route and program
Uber’s freight hauling business expands its partnership with self-driving vehicle company Aurora as driverless hauls will begin on a new Texas route at the end of 2024.
Uber Freight will be one of Aurora’s first customers on its Dallas-to-Houston route later this year.
The duo are in it for the long run too as they also launch Premier Autonomy, a new subscription-based program that gives carriers an “early and streamlined” way to access the Aurora Driver.
This will be a different approach to the usual method of a company owning and operating its own fleet of trucks, with customers of the membership being able to access “over 1 billion driverless miles through 2030.”
The Aurora president Ossa Fisher said in a press release that this will give “hundreds of carriers” the autonomous truck capacity “that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
“Working with carriers of all sizes is one of the many ways we will transform the industry and see thousands of driverless trucks on the road.”
The pairing has already completed a successful pilot as they have hauled millions of pounds of cargo since 2020. In the press release, Aurora says the testing allowed for critical learnings about how to effectively move goods autonomously to be unlocked.
Uber and Aurora’s subscription-based format is an industry first
“Uber Freight and Aurora see a tremendous opportunity to democratize autonomous trucks for carriers of all sizes, enabling them to drive more revenue, scale their fleets, and strengthen their bottom lines,” says Lior Ron, the founder and chief executive officer of Uber Freight.
“Autonomous trucks will make moving goods more efficient, and this industry-first program will help facilitate and accelerate the adoption of autonomous trucks with our carriers. We’re proud to work alongside the amazing team at Aurora to bring this technology into the hands of carriers and ultimately usher in a new era of logistics.”
Featured Image: Via Aurora Press Release
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