Self-driving tractor-trailers are being tested by Aurora and Werner Enterprises on a secluded Texas roadway.

• In Texas, a crucial stretch of highway is being used by Aurora and Werner to test self-driving tractor-trailer trucks.
• The road connecting Fort Worth and El Paso is a crucial segment of the heavily trafficked route from Atlanta to Los Angeles for commercial trucks, but it can be tedious for human drivers to navigate.
• For the time being, the trucks are equipped with human operators who can take control if necessary.

Self-driving startup has gone trucking in Texas.

Aurora and logistics giant Werner have started a pilot test of self-driving tractor-trailers on a 600-mile stretch of highway between Fort Worth and El Paso, using Aurora's self-driving system called Aurora Driver.

The stretch of road between Atlanta and Los Angeles is a crucial part of a heavily traveled truck route, but human truck drivers find it monotonous and unappealing, making it an ideal use case for the Aurora Driver system, which never gets bored.

Aurora-driven trucks will have human operators on board, ready to take over if needed, and the system won't be asked to handle tight urban driving situations.

Although there are limitations, Aurora's driverless technology is a crucial step forward for the trucking industry, which is currently facing a nationwide shortage of qualified human truck drivers, as exemplified by firms like Werner.

Derek Leathers, CEO of Werner, stated that the goal is not to replace human drivers entirely with self-driving systems. Instead, he believes that these systems will handle routes that human drivers would avoid, while increasing the company's capacity during busy periods.

Leathers stated that we anticipate creating a hybrid society where drivers will still transport goods, but autonomous vehicles will meet the increasing demand.

Aurora Driver has previously deployed in big rigs with Uber Freight, and is currently testing its Driver system with both Uber Freight and Werner's trucking unit.

Aurora acquired Uber’s self-driving division in 2020.