Arkansas-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and Waymo, the American autonomous driving technology company, will partner to collaboratively test driverless freight delivery in Texas, according to a recent press release.
The series of test runs over several weeks will use Waymo Via, an autonomous Class 8 truck, to haul freight along Interstate 45 between facilities in Houston and Fort Worth. The companies said two Waymo employees, a commercially licensed driver and a software technician will be positioned in the truck cab to monitor the trips.
The companies said the pilot project will explore how autonomous driving technology can be integrated across trucking fleets and enhance safety and efficiency.
“This will be one of the first opportunities for J.B. Hunt to receive data and feedback on customer freight moved with a Class 8 tractor operating at this level of autonomy,” said Craig Harper, chief sustainability officer and executive vice president for J.B. Hunt. “While we believe there will be a need for highly skilled, professional drivers for many years to come, it is important for J.B. Hunt as an industry leader to be involved early in the development of advanced autonomous technologies and driving systems to ensure that their implementation will improve efficiency while enhancing safety.”
The collaboration comes as other companies test autonomous technology for the trucking industry. Aurora, an Amazon funded self-driving company, previously announced it will conduct similar autonomous tests in Texas.
It also comes as trucking firms continue to struggle to attract drivers, a problem made worse by the pandemic.
J.B. Hunt and Waymo discussed future facility layouts, explored best practices for regular maintenance of autonomous vehicles and which lanes are best suited for autonomous driving.
Waymo LLC began in 2009 under Google’s self-driving car project and is a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. of Mountain View, California. Its autonomous driving technology, Waymo Driver, powers Waymo One, a fully autonomous ride-hailing service, and Waymo Via, its trucking and local delivery service.