The driverless truck industry is seeing significant progress in both long-haul and logistics operations, with Aurora making waves at their Investor Day event. Aurora CEO Chris Urmson revealed that the company has seven freight carrier customers and has run 4300 loads, accumulating over one million miles with nearly 100% on-time deliveries. Partnering with Volvo, Aurora is set to launch their new generation VNL Class 8 truck with redundant systems for autonomous driving. Continental, Aurora’s Tier 1 partner, outlined their process for manufacturing and installing the Aurora Driver hardware onto trucks intended for autonomy-ready customers.
Aurora plans to field their first fully driverless units by the end of the year, with a modest fleet of around 20 trucks. By 2027, Aurora aims to roll out many thousands of trucks to freight carriers as part of their path to scale and self-funding. The company predicts significant revenue growth through their Transport-as-a-Service and Driver-as-a-Service models, with potential for $1.3 billion in revenue by 2028. Demonstrating confidence in their technology, Aurora showcased their driverless trucks handling challenging scenarios on their test track, including pedestrian detection and avoiding obstacles.
Kodiak, another player in the driverless truck space, has announced a partnership with Martin-Brower to deliver time-critical refrigerated freight for quick-service restaurants. Kodiak’s autonomous trucks have completed over 600 deliveries for Martin-Brower, showcasing their safety-driver-supervised operations. This collaboration highlights the potential for autonomous trucks to enhance operational efficiency and customer service in the freight industry. Kodiak’s operations extend beyond Martin-Brower, with partnerships with other carriers and truck ports at various locations.
In a significant move, TRATON has selected Plus as their supplier for L4 products, marking a major development in the autonomous trucking industry. Plus has appointed Jon Morrison as Chief Revenue Officer to enhance their customer acquisition efforts across the vehicle space. Additionally, Forterra has signed a joint development agreement with Kalmar for autonomous terminal tractor solutions, signaling progress in automating yard operations. This partnership combines Forterra’s AutoDrive platform with Kalmar’s expertise in port and terminal automation to create innovative solutions for the container and trailer handling market.
As the industry matures, OEM deals are crucial for the commercialization of autonomous trucking. Aurora, Gatik, Torc, Plus, and Forterra have made significant progress in their partnerships with OEMs to integrate autonomous technology into their vehicles. The evolution of autonomous trucking is marked by OEMs preparing for autonomy by incorporating redundant systems into their production lines. The industry is transitioning from a tech-focused phase to one centered on freight operators, with professionals like Richard Bishop providing valuable insights on the industry’s progress and future prospects.
