Aurora Innovation Inc., Paccar Inc. and FedEx Corp. launched a commercial pilot of autonomous trucking in Texas.
The companies said they started using a Paccar tractor equipped with self-driving technology to haul FedEx loads between Dallas and Houston, a 500-mile round trip, along the I-45 corridor Sept. 21.
Although the truck will be driving itself, the test program will have a safety driver in the cab, ready to take over operations if needed. But that backup is scheduled to end, said Aurora, which develops self-driving technology for heavy-duty trucks and passenger cars used for ride-hailing. The Mountain View, Calif., company calls its primary system Aurora Driver.
