Driverless commercial trucks will be on the roadways by 2024

Driverless commercial trucks will begin traveling between Dallas and Houston by the end of 2024.

From self-driving tech firm Aurora Innovation, the company announced it has entered the final phase of refinement for its autonomous technology ahead of the official launch of the driverless trucks. Aurora Innovation is the latest company to expand its presence in the region with self-driving trucks.

Leading up to the 2024 launch, the company will increase its pilot load volume to 100 loads per week by the end of this year. The launch of driverless commercial vehicles for Aurora will include an autonomous trucking subscription service dubbed, Aurora Horizon.

Link to article in the Houston Chronicle:
Self-driving trucks will travel on I-45 from Dallas to Houston in 2024 (houstonchronicle.com)

 

I don't know...make me a bit nervous!

 

Driverless trucks have been on the road all over Texas and the SW for over the last 10 years

 

I believe driverless semis have been driving in all the flat wide open western states. So far they have required a human in the driver's seat to still override bad commands. I expect driverless trucks or driver led convoys from the front range of the Rocky's to the I-29 and I-35 line.

There was a trucker shortage before COVID. COVID made it worse, the boomers are retiring, and then the federal government passed regulations requiring more certified training before one can get a CDL.

The regulations are creating the crisis that will be fixed by automated trucks, after the news insights the public to demand solutions. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Driverless trucks ??? ..............Best thing that could happen to "SWIFT"

 

That’s a new one to me.

 

I think the technology is really cool. Traveling back and forth on the weekends, it’s amazing what you see people doing when driving. I can only imagine the stories truckers have.

 

Do they even have fully automated tractors here in the states yet? Ya know.... ones without a babysitter sitting in the cab?

 

There will always be a babysitter in the cab for the near future.

I’ve passed several of these trucks running I-45 and I-35 in Texas. So it’s common to see them running both corridors.

 

So they're not driverless?

 

In the fact they go down the road autonomously, yes, they very much are.

that they have a passenger monitoring the systems capable of taking over should the need arise, they very much do. My understanding more to swap trailers at either end, handle paperwork and fuel the trucks up.

the companies are also hiring “driver” right now too.

 

I guess you're definition of "driverless" is different than mine.

When i see tractors leave barns and go plow fields on "their own" (obviously a schedule would need to be set up) then return to the barns..... maybe I'll start believing there'll be self driving cars.

If they can't make tractors drive thru fields by themselves without a thing around for acres and acres.... how are they going to get a car to go down a narrow street and not hit anything?

 

The liability would be huge for manufacturers. What happens when a driverless vehicle destroys property or kills someone? Who's fault is that going to be?

 

The only thing i see driverless cars/vehicles doing is making more useless people that have no skills. Pretty soon people won't even be able to feed themselves..... they'll need a machine to do it.

 

What happens in temporary construction zones? Does the truck know when a lane it closed?

 

Surprisingly yes they do.

had one follow me through a rolling work site on I35W last month between Arlington TX and ft worth.

 

That seems to be just in general...dunno that it is specific to just drivers. I've heard from many different people that you can get a job at just about any factory just by passing the drug test.
A local aluminum processor will start you out at upper $20's per hour if you are willing to work 2nd shift in the furnace area...only high school diploma and passed drug test needed.

 

I'm sure the goobermint will give them immunity...kinda like the "emergency use" drugs...they'll come up with some kind of emergency supply chain continuation BS...