Waymo is ready to deploy its autonomous trucks on Texas interstates. Is this the future of trucking? (Image credit: Waymo)
Don't be surprised the next time you see a semi-truck on the road, and there's no driver inside. Self-driving trucks are preparing to hit the road, at least in Texas. Waymo, formerly Google's self-driving car division, said it's ready to deploy its autonomous trucks in Texas. This comes after months of testing its Chrysler Pacifica autonomous prototypes on the road to map areas for the self-driving trucks. With the routes mapped out, the trucks will be tested along interstates I-10, I-20, and I-45. Waymo said these roads are "promising commercial routes" across the state.
"In addition to further advancing our trucking capabilities, we're excited to explore how our tech might be able to create new transportation solutions in Texas, which has a high freight volume and is a favorable environment for deploying AVs," said the Waymo spokeswoman.
The company is looking at two different models for its autonomous trucking division. The first is the standard point to point/dock to dock model, but its requirement of last-and-first mile surface street driving makes it difficult for self-driving trucks. The other option involved transfer hubs, where a human driver would ferry a trailer to a highway-adjacent depot. The autonomous tractor would then pick up the trailer and take it to another hub near its destination. Then a human driver would take the load to its delivery site. Currently, Texas will use loaded and unloaded trucks, but will not do any commercial shipping during testing.
Waymo isn't the only company looking to get self-driving trucks on the road. Recently, San Diego-based self-driving startup TuSimple announced plans for the world's first autonomous freight network. The company is working with UPS, Penske, and US Xpress to bring the project to life over three phases. Penske Truck Leasing will handle preventative maintenance and help TuSimple scale its fleet operation, while US Xpress provides the startup with more opportunities to collect data as it runs TuSimple's Level 4 autonomous system.
Last month, Aurora revealed plans to test a small fleet of vehicles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company used both Chrysler Pacifica minivans and Class 8 tractor-trailers to test the autonomous vehicle hardware and software. According to Aurora, its first commercial service will be in trucking "where the market is largest today, the unit economics are best, and the level of service requirements is most accommodating."
Have a story tip? Message me at: cabe(at)element14(dot)com