J.B. Hunt will be Waymo’s first self-driving freight customer – TechCrunch

Wymo Via, an independent automotive freight forwarding company, is expanding its partnership with logistics company JB Hunt Transport from pilot to long-term strategic partnership.

As part of the deal, Wymo Via will become the first launching partner of the fully automated, driverless freight lines expected to arrive in the next few years.

Waimo and JB Hunt launched a “test run” in 2021 on I-45 between Houston and Fort Worth, Texas, one of the country’s busiest commercial corridors. Wymo Daimler trucks powered by Wyomo driver 86 862,179 at the end of the pilot, with no malfunction or speed, 100% on-time delivery and 100% off-load According to the company. Each race is completed by boarding a licensed truck driver and software technician to oversee the operation.

Craig Harper, JB Hunt’s Chief Sustainability and Chief Executive Officer, said: Details will be further investigated. “

Image Thanks Wamo

A.D. In 2022 and beyond, the companies plan to launch several more pilots on the same corridor in Texas to prepare for driverless autonomy.

In addition to strengthening the company’s driver as a service model, Waimo did not share with the next pilot what special goals he had achieved with JB Hunt. Waymo driver. Those trucks are purchased directly from partners or carriers such as JB Hunt and Ryder.

“This is a long-term vision,” Wymo spokesman Julian McGoldrick told Tech Crunch. “As we grow into that vision, we have test trucks for our trucks, and our pilots with those and independent specialists must have this practical experience when we are fully independent. We have all the basics for Jebby Hunt and our customers to transport cargo without any driver.

During the Wimo-JB Hunt partnership, the two companies plan to use joint operations and market research with their own drivers to learn more about their joint ventures and explore technology integration with JB Hunt 360. Digital Load Matching Platform.

Of course, Weimo is not just a self-driving car in Texas or elsewhere. Tusmole, one of Waimo Via’s competitors, recently completed its first driverless, self-paced truck, putting the technology in a more advanced phase. Aurora and Codiac Robotics are also testing trucks in Texas.

That Waimo does not mind – the spelling-based strategy is more closely linked to its partners than to its own set of boxes, says McGoldrick.

”‘ “We are entering into this multi-year agreement with a multi-stakeholder body that covers everything and shows that we are deep with our partners, rather than just for the pilot. We are working with our partners on our fully automated launch to make it as successful as possible when we are ready.