Aurora, Werner Enterprises To Test Driverless Tech Between Fort Worth And El Paso

Aurora Innovation, a developer of autonomous driving technology, and Werner Enterprises, a trucking and logistics company, are testing the use of autonomous technology between Fort Worth and El Paso, the companies said Wednesday.

The 600-mile route is the middle leg of one of the nation’s busiest trucking routes between Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Specifically, the two companies will use the Aurora Driver system. The trucks will be occupied by a human operator who will be prepared to correct the trucks if there are glitches in the system.

Aurora brought two new terminals online to service the Fort Worth to El Paso route. What it learns from this pilot project will enable it to improve its Driver system to the point where it can be deployed on other routes.

The Driver technology consists of software, sensors and computers that enable the trucks to drive autonomously. Aurora Horizon is the service for Aurora’s partners and customers to dispatch and monitor trucks for maintenance and roadside assistance.

“We’re proud to partner with Werner to bring safety, efficiency and reliability benefits of self-driving technology to their business,” Aurora co-founder Sterling Anderson, said in a statement.

Aurora intends to begin commercial driverless semi-truck service in late 2023. Earlier this year, it announced a partnership with freight carrier U.S. Xpress to find commercial applications for its technology that can help trucking companies contend with a driver shortage and supply chain disruptions.

“Werner has a long history of pioneering new technology within the industry,” Werner Chairman and CEO Derek Leathers said in a statement. “This collaboration and pilot with Aurora is another step forward in our commitment to sustainability and safety for our drivers, customers and the motoring public. We look forward to building a hybrid world where drivers continue to haul freight while autonomous trucks supplement rising demand.”

Aurora previously said it’s also working with Uber Freight and FedEx, as well as truck manufacturers Paccar and Volvo.

The American Trucking Association estimated that in 2021 there was a shortage of 80,000 drivers among long-haul carriers.

That shortage, along with the supply-chain problems exacerbated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, have raised the urgency of applying autonomous driving technology. But proving the safety and reliability of autonomous systems is a challenge.

Other companies are also competing in this space. Embark, a San Francisco-based startup, is working with Knight-Swift Transportation. Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, is working with trucking giant J.B. Hunt.

TuSimple, which began testing a system with no human in the cab last year, said in February that freight rail giant Union Pacific will use its automated trucking service to haul cargo from Tucson to Phoenix.