DALLAS, Texas — Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation are launching Premier Autonomy, a new program providing early access to over one billion of Aurora’s driverless miles to Uber Freight carriers through 2030.
“Uber Freight and Aurora see a tremendous opportunity to democratize autonomous trucks for carriers of all sizes, enabling them to drive more revenue, scale their fleets, and strengthen their bottom lines,” said founder and chief executive officer of Uber Freight, Lior Ron. “Autonomous trucks will make moving goods more efficient, and this industry-first program will help facilitate and accelerate the adoption of autonomous trucks with our carriers. We’re proud to work alongside the amazing team at Aurora to bring this technology into the hands of carriers and ultimately usher in a new era of logistics.”
The program is the latest in their longstanding partnership to integrate and deploy autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network to enable carriers of all sizes to improve utilization and enhance business efficiency through autonomous technology. Additionally, Uber Freight will be one of Aurora’s first customers on its Dallas-to-Houston freight route, with driverless hauls for shippers expected at the end of 2024.
To pave the way for Uber Freight carriers to begin driverless operations in the years to come, the companies are launching Premier Autonomy. The industry-first program offers carriers an early and streamlined path to purchase and onboard the Aurora Driver with benefits including subscription to the Aurora Driver for autonomous freight hauling and the opportunity to access over one billion driverless miles through 2030.
High utilization of autonomous trucks via a planned, seamless integration of the Aurora Driver into the Uber Freight platform.
“With Uber Freight, we can provide hundreds of carriers Premier Autonomy to autonomous truck capacity that they wouldn’t otherwise have. Working with carriers of all sizes is one of the many ways we will transform the industry and see thousands of driverless trucks on the road,” said Aurora President, Ossa Fisher. “It’s exciting and validating that companies like Uber Freight are reserving our long-term capacity for their customers. We all see collective value in this offering.”
Premier Autonomy enables carriers of all sizes to utilize transformative technology to enhance their operations. A human-driven truck takes two to three days to move freight from Dallas to Los Angeles. With the Aurora Driver, that trip has the potential to be completed in a single day. Aurora’s research indicates autonomous trucks have the promise of being up to 32 percent more energy efficient than traditional trucking by
optimizing highway speeds, reducing deadhead miles and idling, increasing vehicle utilization and off-peak driving, programmed eco-driving and more.
Uber Freight and Aurora have hauled millions of pounds of cargo since pilots began in 2020, unlocking critical learnings about how to effectively move goods autonomously. The companies are committed to a meticulous approach to driverless deployment, ensuring qualified carriers can seamlessly access dedicated capacity.
The scale and density of Uber Freight’s network, along with its marketplace technology and expertise, make it the preferred platform for autonomous truck deployment. Deep integration of the Aurora Driver into the Uber Freight network will create a seamless and familiar experience for customers. The Uber Freight network will also identify shippers with suitable freight for the Aurora Driver to optimize utilization.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
