Aurora Innovation, Inc. is accelerating the expansion of its autonomous trucking network through two new partnerships aimed at scaling freight operations across the US supply chain.
NEW ROUTES AND OPERATIONS
Aurora Innovation, Inc. (Aurora) has announced a strategic agreement with McLane Company, Inc. (McLane) to begin driverless hauls in Texas, the US, alongside an expanded collaboration with Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) that launches a new autonomous freight route between Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Through its partnership with Aurora, McLane – a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary – will begin driverless operations using the Aurora Driver, an SAE L4 self-driving system initially deployed in long-haul trucking.
The collaboration is designed to support the movement of supplies and perishable food products for chain restaurants, convenience stores, and mass merchants across Texas.
In 2023, the two companies launched a supervised autonomy pilot program that can be integrated directly into cars.
Since then, the Aurora Driver has logged more than 280,000 autonomous miles in Texas and completed 1,400 loads for McLane. Based on what Aurora described as 100 percent on-time performance, McLane approved the transition to driverless operations between Dallas and Houston.
“The business of moving food is essential to our economy and our way of life. With a 134-year legacy, McLane is deeply woven into the American distribution industry,” comments Ossa Fisher, President at Aurora.
“We’re excited to enter the next chapter with McLane and transform the American food supply chain with autonomous trucks. Our collective momentum in logistics is palpable.”
Aurora also plans to expand the partnership to additional routes between McLane distribution centers across the US.
ENTERING NEW FREIGHT MARKETS
At the same time, Aurora and VAS have expanded their autonomous freight network with a new 200-mile route between Dallas and Oklahoma City. The route marks the start of freight deliveries to customer facilities in Oklahoma City using the Volvo VNL Autonomous, integrated with the Aurora Driver.
The Oklahoma City program currently supports trips five days a week in supervised autonomy. According to the companies, operating directly to customer facilities reduces the need for drayage moves and additional handoffs while simplifying logistics operations.
“Expanding our operations into Oklahoma City and adding customer endpoints is an important step for scaling autonomous transport,” highlights Sasko Cuklev, Head of On-Road Solutions at VAS.
“Running end-to-end requires a higher level of operational precision and integration, and it further demonstrates how autonomous trucks can operate reliably in real logistics environments. Together with Aurora, we are focused on expanding our network and accelerating the adoption of this new and exciting technology.”
Moreover, Fisher points out that leveraging Aurora’s technology to open new routes efficiently is a key part of the company’s strategy.
“Aurora and Volvo are firing on all cylinders, and our ability to execute together at scale is clear. As Volvo’s most advanced autonomy partner, we are proud to be the first to deploy the Volvo VNL Autonomous across multiple states.”
Aurora has highlighted how the Dallas-to-Oklahoma City interstate route was mapped, and autonomous hauls began within weeks. The launch also highlights the continued deployment of the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform integrated with the Aurora Driver across multiple states
