Phoenix motorists can expect to see an influx of driverless trucks in the near future, as Aurora Innovation, a company specializing in autonomous vehicle technology, has unveiled plans to stretch its self-driving trucking route from Fort Worth, Texas, to Phoenix. According to AZFamily, the expansion aims to start commercial trips with drivers at the helm for clients in the first half of 2025 and to transition to fully driverless operations on the same corridor later in the year.
The route, encompassing approximately 1,000 miles, is expected to be a trailblazer for autonomous long-haul shipping, a particularly attractive segment for this technology owing to the lengthy, 15-hour drive time. Aurora, based in Pittsburgh, has already completed over 7,000 commercial truckloads and clocked nearly 2 million miles on the road with its existing test routes in Texas. With its ambiance set on the broader Sun Belt region, the selection of Phoenix as the next destination marks an ambitious leap for the company out of its current Texas operating base.
Phoenix is not unfamiliar with driverless vehicles on its roadways. Other industry players such as TuSimple and Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. have made headlines testing autonomous trucks on Arizona interstates. BizJournals reports that Aurora announced its plans during the Aurora Partner Summit, where "over 20" commercial partners attended to stay informed about the company's updates and technology advancements. Aurora's footprint in self-driving innovation has been backed by collaborations with notable partners like PACCAR, FedEx, Toyota, Uber, Volvo, and Continental.
In anticipation of future developments, Aurora has set in motion a "Partner Success Program," which invites customer executives and drivers to observe the technology firsthand, by riding inside the cab of Aurora trucks. "We strongly believe that engaging key partners, the people who will regularly interact with the Aurora Driver, is critical to the success of our driverless commercial product," Aurora president Ossa Fisher said in a prepared statement, as reported by BizJournals. The program signifies a step towards building trust, and confirmation that the company's efforts align with safe deployment of driverless trucks.
With this move, Aurora is racing ahead to refine the dynamics of freight transportation, whilst becoming a key player in advancing the technology of autonomous vehicles. The community along the Fort Worth to Phoenix line, including law enforcement, and first responders in both New Mexico and Arizona, will need to prepare for the shift in highway logistics as the future of trucking continues to evolve.
