Uber trucks crossing Arizona — by themselves
Self-driving vehicles could revolutionize long-haul trucking
Uber announced Tuesday that it has been sending self-driving trucks on delivery runs across Arizona since November, the first step in what could be a freight transportation revolution that could leave long-haul truckers in the cold.
After testing its technology earlier in 2017, Uber began contracting with trucking companies to use its own autonomous Volvo big rigs to take over loads as they traverse the state. Uber did not disclose what items it is transporting for which companies.
“The big step for us recently is that we can plan to haul goods in both directions, using Uber Freight to co-ordinate load pickups and drop-offs with local truckers,” said Alden Woodrow, who leads Uber’s self-driving truck effort. “Keeping trucking local allows these drivers to make money while staying closer to home.”
Uber Freight, which launched last May, is an app that matches shippers with loads using technology drawn from Uber’s ridehailing app. Typically, such trucking logistics have been co-ordinated through phone calls and emails.
Uber isn’t alone in its pursuit of
self-driving truck technology, with startups such as Embark joining companies such as Tesla and its new Tesla Semi to carve out a slice of a US$700-billion industry that moves 70 per cent of all domestic freight, according to the American Trucking Association.
Despite the push, self-driving trucks autonomous technology remains in its infancy, with hurdles that include government regulations and trucker buy-in.
While truck owner-operators make money only when their rigs are on the road, it remains to be seen if they will be comfortable sleeping while their trucks drive, and if they’ll fork over what promises to be a considerable investment to make their cabs autonomous.
Woodrow says Uber’s trucking
plans remain in development, but he does not see the company running a fleet of self-driving trucks — which would imply that its technology would be available for purchase from large established shipping companies.
“Today we’re operating our own trucks, but in the future it remains to be seen what happens,” he says.
Uber’s Volvo trucks — which have Uber truck drivers monitoring matters from the driver’s seat — focus solely on autonomous highway driving. The way Uber’s trucking program works is that trucks driven by humans arrive at hubs set up at weigh stations near the Arizona border, where their trailers’ loads are switched over to Uber’s Volvos.