Self-driving trucks are being deployed on public roads for the first time by Aurora

Aurora Innovation, Inc., a pioneer in autonomous commercial technology, has officially launched full-scale freight operations using self-driving trucks in the United States. With this milestone, Aurora has become the first company in the country to operate fully driverless trucking services on public highways. The company has released footage showcasing one of its autonomous trucks seamlessly navigating American roadways, signaling a major breakthrough in commercial transportation.

Aurora has steadily progressed over the years from a promising autonomous tech developer to a key player in the self-driving logistics sector. In 2019, it strengthened its technological edge by acquiring Blackmore, a LiDAR firm, which enabled the company to build a robust sensor suite designed to operate safely at highway speeds. By 2020, Aurora began integrating its proprietary Aurora Driver system into Class 8 trucks, which have since covered more than 1,200 miles on public roads without a safety driver behind the wheel.

With the aim of launching its commercial service, Aurora Horizon, in 2024, the company secured $820 million in funding to help bring its autonomous freight platform to market. That vision is now a reality, as Aurora announced the official commencement of its commercial driverless operations in the southern United States, marking a significant turning point for the self-driving industry.

Currently, Aurora’s Class 8 autonomous trucks are transporting goods between Dallas and Houston in Texas without a human driver onboard. The company’s vehicles are powered by its in-house developed Aurora Driver, an SAE Level 4 automation system built for long-haul trucking, an industry worth trillions of dollars annually in the U.S. Aurora sees its solution as a strategic response to several challenges facing the trucking sector, such as an aging workforce, high employee turnover, and increasing operating expenses.

Aurora Driver had already driven more than three million miles on its own and made over 10,000 commercial deliveries prior to the introduction of fully autonomous services. After successfully demonstrating the safety and reliability of its technology through a rigorous safety validation process, Aurora has officially begun driverless operations in Texas, with further expansion expected in the future.