Waymo and J.B. Hunt Launch Autonomous Freight Truck Pilot in Texas
Waymo and J.B. Hunt partner to test autonomous Class 8 freight trucks on a Texas highway. The pilot project transports goods between Houston and Fort Worth with human monitors on board.
Waymo and transportation logistics company J.B. Hunt team up for a pilot project that tests autonomous freight trucks in Texas. Waymo uses its Class 8 autonomous trucks to transport goods between Houston and Fort Worth along Interstate 45 for one of J.B. Hunt's customers. This trial marks a major step in making the Waymo Driver platform commercially viable for the trucking industry.
The trucks operate using Waymo's Level 4 autonomous driving platform, but the vehicles do not travel completely unmanned during this pilot. A commercially licensed truck driver, a Waymo software technician, and a Waymo autonomous driving specialist all ride inside the cab to oversee and monitor the operation. While the Level 4 system can drive itself in good weather on certain routes, Waymo still includes human personnel to ensure safety and gather data.
Both companies view this collaboration as a crucial milestone toward the ultimate goal of deploying fully driverless autonomous trucks across the United States. While Waymo already operates an autonomous taxi service in Arizona, the company still faces challenges and technical kinks to iron out. Despite the long and bumpy road ahead, leaders from both Waymo and J.B. Hunt express confidence that this partnership brings the reality of autonomous freight closer to fruition.