The very first driverless freight trucks have made deliveries in Texas this week.
Pennsylvania-based Aurora Innovation has launched the service, which runs between Dallas and Houston. Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines are the service’s first commercial customers.
The service uses a specially developed self-driving system called “Aurora Driver.”
“To date, the Aurora Driver has completed over 1,200 miles without a driver,” said a statement from the company.
“The milestone makes Aurora the first company to operate a commercial self-driving service with heavy-duty trucks on public roads.”
The company has plans to extend its service to El Paso, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona by the end of the year.
The introduction of autonomous freight trucks has been strongly opposed by labor unions.
At the beginning of April, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters testified at the Nevada Capitol in support of Senate Bill 395, which would require all commercial vehicles weighing more than 26,000 lbs to have a trained human safety operator behind the wheel.
“For Big Tech companies to think they can come into any state and replace the jobs of hardworking union members with this dangerous and inferior technology is an insult to professional drivers everywhere,” said Peter Finn, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7.
“SB 395 is critical to protecting the middle class. That is why we are demanding that Nevada lawmakers vote in favor of this legislation.”
The Bill passed the Nevada Senate on 16 April and is currently being considered in the State Assembly.
On 4 April, the Department of Transportation said it would ease safety regulations around the use of driverless vehicles, in large part to allow greater competitiveness with China.
“This Administration understands that we’re in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in a statement.
“As part of DOT’s innovation agenda, our new framework will slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety.”