Aurora Launches First Driverless Freight Service in U.S.

Aurora Innovation has officially launched the nation’s first commercial driverless freight service, deploying autonomous 18-wheelers along the busy Dallas–Houston corridor. This marks a groundbreaking moment for the U.S. trucking and logistics industry, as the company moves from supervised testing into full commercial operations — with no human drivers on board.

“This is a moment I’ll never forget,” said Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora. “We are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads.”

Backed by Millions of Miles and Rigorous Safety Testing

Aurora’s autonomous Class 8 trucks, powered by its proprietary Aurora Driver system, operate at SAE Level 4 — meaning they can function without human intervention within designated routes. Before launch, the company logged over 3 million miles during a four-year pilot program and completed a formal safety case shared with federal and Texas regulators.

Key safety features include:

• Advanced sensors detecting objects over 400 yards away
• Redundant braking, steering, and computing systems
• Compliance with traffic laws and emergency scenarios through its Verifiable AI framework

Aurora also published a Driverless Safety Report outlining protocols for cybersecurity, remote assistance, and operational safeguards.

Launch Partners and Expansion Plans

Aurora’s launch partners include:

• Uber Freight (No. 14, Transport Topics Top 100 logistics companies)
• Hirschbach Motor Lines (No. 55, Transport Topics Top 100 for-hire carriers)

Lior Ron, CEO of Uber Freight, called the launch “a historic step forward in our mission to build a smarter and more efficient supply chain.”

Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach, added: “Autonomous trucks aren’t just going to help grow our business — they’re also going to give our drivers better lives by handling the lengthier and less desirable routes.”

Aurora plans to expand its driverless operations to El Paso and Phoenix by late 2025.

Texas Backs Innovation

Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the milestone, saying:

“Texas continues to attract emerging industries because we offer an environment that welcomes entrepreneurs and encourages innovation. These new, autonomous semis on the I-45 corridor will efficiently move products, create jobs and help make our roadways safer.”

Aurora’s debut positions it as a leader in the race to commercialize autonomous freight, with the potential to reshape long-haul logistics and transform supply chain dynamics across the U.S.

Source: Transport Topics