Lior Ron Joins Waabi as COO, Targeting Nationwide Driverless Truck Deployment Within Five Years

Autonomous trucking startup Waabi has hired Uber Freight founder Lior Ron as its new Chief Operating Officer, signaling a major push toward the commercial deployment of driverless trucks in the U.S. The move, announced August 12, comes as Waabi targets the launch of fully autonomous freight routes in the U.S. Southwest by the end of 2025.

Ron will remain chairman of Uber Freight while stepping into his new role, bringing over a decade of experience in scaling logistics platforms to the billion-dollar level. “The first decade of my career in logistics was building Uber Freight … the next decade is going to be about autonomy and bringing autonomous to the supply chain,” Ron said. “The technology is now here.”

From R&D to Commercial Scale

Founded in 2021 by Raquel Urtasun, Waabi has spent the past four years refining its AI-driven trucking technology. Testing has been conducted with safety drivers onboard, but the company plans to remove drivers entirely from cabs by year-end. Initial deployments will focus on Sunbelt freight corridors — Texas, Arizona, and California — chosen for their heavy freight flows and favorable weather.

Waabi expects to scale rapidly, with Ron setting a goal to cover all of North America within five years. The company already partners with Volvo Autonomous Solutions and has been hauling commercial loads between Dallas and Houston through Uber Freight’s network since 2023.

“For shippers and carriers, autonomy means moving assets from seven or eight hours a day to 20 hours a day,” Ron explained. “You can make supply chains more reliable and optimal at a fundamental level.”

Strategic Relationships and Industry Tailwinds

Uber remains a major investor in Waabi, and Ron’s long-standing relationship with Urtasun, dating back to their time at Uber’s advanced technology unit, builds upon the company’s strategic direction. Urtasun said Ron’s expertise will be critical in building “foundational partnerships” and positioning Waabi for scale.

Truck manufacturers are preparing as well. “Truck OEMs, such as Volvo, are already making the investments, gearing up and leaning all in,” Ron noted, adding that adoption will be accelerated by ongoing driver shortages and the cost efficiencies of autonomous operations.

Questions for the Next Phase

While supportive of the move, supply chain strategist Brittain Ladd used Ron’s appointment to pose deeper questions about the long-term design of autonomous freight.

“If you don’t need the driver, why do you need the truck?” Ladd asked, pointing out that most autonomous developers — including Waabi, Kodiak, and Aurora — are still using traditional Class 8 tractors.

He suggested that the industry could eventually see minimalist autonomous power units, purpose-built without a driver cab, to haul trailers and containers. Ladd also questioned whether Waabi is exploring teleoperation capabilities, allowing remote human intervention if needed, as part of its deployment strategy.

A Gradual but Significant Shift

Both Ron and Urtasun emphasized that autonomous trucking will not eliminate driving jobs overnight. With the average U.S. truck driver age around 55, they see a gradual shift toward last-mile roles and new technical positions maintaining and supporting autonomous fleets.

For now, Waabi’s priority remains clear. “It’s time now to scale, and it’s really now time to bring the solution that Waabi has ready to the market,” Ron said. “We start with specific routes and scale fast across multiple customers.”

Source: Transport Topics | CNBC | Brittain Ladd/LinkedIn