(Axios) Houston is set to be a testing ground for 18-wheelers moving freight without a driver in the cab.
Driving the news: Kodiak Robotics will launch its first driverless route between Houston and Dallas in the second half of this year.
- It unveiled its “driverless-ready semi-truck” at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
- Pennsylvania-based Aurora Innovation is also planning to launch driverless trucks in Texas by the end of the year, with Dallas to Houston as the first route.
Why it matters: These companies argue autonomous trucks could address the long-haul driver shortage plaguing the industry while also lowering costs and improving safety.
Details: California-based Kodiak and Florida-based Ryder System Inc. opened a Houston location in December to handle autonomous truck trips.
- The so-called truckport at an existing Ryder fleet maintenance facility enables Kodiak to launch and land autonomous trucks as well as transfer freight for routes between Houston, Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Be smart: Kodiak currently operates all routes with safety drivers, including those between Houston-Dallas and Houston-Oklahoma City.
The big picture: Texas has become a self-driving testing ground in recent years, thanks to a 2017 law allowing motor vehicles with automated driving systems to operate in the state without a “human operator.”
What they’re saying: “Kodiak picked Dallas to Houston as the first driverless route because it is a major freight lane, and the region combines generally good weather with favorable regulatory environment for the technology,” a Kodiak spokesperson tells Axios.
- “Nearly half of all truck freight in Texas moves along the I-45 between Dallas and Houston, making this corridor an ideal route for Aurora’s commercial launch,” Aurora said in a news release last year.
State of play: Autonomous truck developers have tested their rigs with real customers in the Houston area, using backup safety drivers until the technology is ready.
