# Aurora’s Self-Driving Trucks Hit the Road, Delivering Goods in Texas

## Aurora’s Self-Driving Trucks Hit the Road, Delivering Goods in Texas

After years of development and rigorous testing, Aurora Innovation has announced that its autonomous tractor-trailers are now commercially operational on Texas highways. The company’s Class 8 trucks are currently making deliveries between Dallas and Houston for clients like Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, having already logged over 1,200 miles without a human driver behind the wheel.

“We founded Aurora to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly,” said Aurora CEO Chris Urmson. “Now, we are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads.” Urmson even took a backseat ride during the inaugural run, calling it “the honor of a lifetime.”

The launch represents a significant milestone in the autonomous vehicle industry, particularly for autonomous trucking. While once anticipated to precede robotaxis due to the relative simplicity of highway driving, the development of driverless trucks has faced numerous technological and regulatory hurdles, leading to setbacks for some companies. Embark Trucks, TuSimple, and Locomation, for example, have ceased operations, while others have scaled back their deployment plans.

Despite these challenges and declining public opinion towards autonomous vehicles, Aurora remains optimistic. The company emphasizes a measured and conservative approach to commercialization, prioritizing safety through its Safety Case Framework. Founded in 2017 by veterans of Uber, Tesla, and Waymo, Aurora had initially aimed for a 2024 launch, but those plans were delayed as the company refined its system for navigating complex scenarios like surface streets and construction zones.

Aurora believes its technology can address the pressing challenges facing the trucking industry, including driver shortages, high turnover rates, and escalating operating costs. By reducing labor expenses and improving highway safety, the company aims to provide a sustainable solution for the transportation of goods.

The company has spent four years conducting supervised pilot programs, primarily in Texas, where it successfully delivered over 10,000 customer loads across 3 million autonomous miles. Aurora has also demonstrated advanced capabilities, such as predicting red light runners, avoiding collisions, and detecting pedestrians at night from a safe distance. Key partnerships with industry leaders like Continental, Volvo, and Uber underscore the company’s collaborative approach to realizing the future of autonomous trucking.

This commercial launch comes at a critical time for Aurora, as the company seeks to generate revenue and demonstrate the viability of its technology. According to its most recent financial report, Aurora reported a net loss of $748 million for 2024. The pressure to generate revenue from customer deliveries is mounting. The company also plans to expand its driverless service to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025.