Self-driving trucks from Google’s Waymo to deliver UPS freight from Dallas to Houston - Houston Chronicle
Autonomous driving company Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, will partner with UPS to conduct freight truck runs from a package facility in the Dallas area to one near Houston.
Waymo Via Trucking first came to Texas in early 2020 but was only able to begin testing its Class 8 Freight trucks that August due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has been testing its trucks, mapping the route along I-45 between Texas’ two largest cities and piloting hauls for J.B. Hunt.
Waymo officials said the routes will help alleviate delivery demands caused by holiday shopping and supply chain issues. Already, officials said, they’ve had success testing smaller vehicles in delivering goods along local routes in more urban areas.
The partnership comes less than two months after one of Waymo’s competitors, Aurora, announced it would partner with FedEx to haul freight from Dallas to Houston and back. FedEx trucks driven by Aurora’s technology are already testing along I-45, although a safety driver and co-pilot are in the truck’s cab each trip as the company prepares to launch driverless trucks along the route by late 2023.
Autonomous driving company Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, will partner with UPS to conduct freight truck runs from a package facility in the Dallas area to one near Houston.
Waymo Via Trucking first came to Texas in early 2020 but was only able to begin testing its Class 8 Freight trucks that August due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has been testing its trucks, mapping the route along I-45 between Texas’ two largest cities and piloting hauls for J.B. Hunt.
Waymo officials said the routes will help alleviate delivery demands caused by holiday shopping and supply chain issues. Already, officials said, they’ve had success testing smaller vehicles in delivering goods along local routes in more urban areas.
The partnership comes less than two months after one of Waymo’s competitors, Aurora, announced it would partner with FedEx to haul freight from Dallas to Houston and back. FedEx trucks driven by Aurora’s technology are already testing along I-45, although a safety driver and co-pilot are in the truck’s cab each trip as the company prepares to launch driverless trucks along the route by late 2023.
