Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation Introduce Driverless Delivery Program

Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation have launched a new initiative, Premier Autonomy, designed to provide carriers early access to autonomous truck technology, the companies announced on June 25. The program is set to facilitate the deployment of over a billion miles of driverless deliveries by integrating Aurora Driver technology with the Uber Freight platform.

The collaboration between Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation aims to enhance the efficiency of goods movement and democratize access to autonomous truck technology for carriers of all sizes. “Autonomous trucks will make moving goods more efficient, and this industry-first program will help facilitate and accelerate the adoption of autonomous trucks with our carriers,” stated Lior Ron, CEO of Uber Freight.

Since the start of their partnership in early 2020, Uber Freight and Aurora have focused on leveraging autonomous technologies to optimize the logistics and transportation industry. The Premier Autonomy program builds on the insights gained over the years, aiming to streamline the path for carriers to acquire and implement these technologies.

Under the program, Aurora is offering early access to autonomous deliveries to participating Uber Freight carriers through 2030, with Uber Freight serving as one of Aurora’s primary customers on the Dallas-to-Houston freight route. “We’ve had a longtime partnership with Uber,” said Zac Andreoni, Vice President of Business Development at Aurora. “We hauled our very first commercial trailer with Uber Freight in 2021. This new program represents an evolution of that partnership into something more substantial.”

The scale and density of the Uber Freight network are deemed ideal for deploying autonomous trucks, particularly in a challenging economic environment where the freight market faces recession, overcapacity, and rising costs. “The promise of autonomous vehicles is to deliver a supercharged asset that can run more efficiently, exceeding hours of service,” Andreoni explained.

In the short term, Aurora will continue hauling loads for Uber Freight, with plans to begin operating driverless for its customers by the end of the year as a third-party carrier. This transition is part of Aurora’s long-term strategy, where carriers will be able to purchase autonomous vehicles from manufacturing partners and subscribe to Aurora’s technology.

“This program is about preparing carriers for the future ownership experience of autonomous vehicles, which is expected to start around 2026 or 2027,” Andreoni added. “It’s essential to ensure that carriers’ networks are ready to integrate these advanced technologies effectively.”