J.B. Hunt, one of the largest freight transporters in the United States, is expanding its robot truck cooperation with Waymo. Waymo, Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving business, has announced that its collaboration with J.B. Hunt is growing, and that J.B. Hunt will be the company’s first commercial customer for robotic truck services.
J.B. Hunt, located in Lowell, Arkansas, started a pilot venture with Waymo Via, the tech company’s logistics division, last year, transporting merchandise in test runs on Texas’ I-45 interstate.
Lowell, Arkansas, J.B. Last year, Hunt launched a pilot program with tech company Waymo Via, a logistics business, to test-run cargo on the I45 highway in Texas. In a blog post, Waymo plans to become Waymo Via’s first freight partner “when deploying fully autonomous operations in Texas over the next few years.” Before that, companies use Waymo’s large automated rigs (using human safety drivers as backups) to enhance test execution.
This strategic alliance “lays the groundwork for a successful deployment and paves the way for the benefits of autonomous driving technology,” said Charlie Jatt, Head of Commercialization of Waymo Trucks. .. The Alphabet unit has already made modest revenues from its on-demand robot taxi service outside Phoenix and plans to expand its service in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, autonomous trucking and delivery services, starting as the Google SelfDriving Car Project, are rapidly becoming a core application of technology that has been developed for over a decade. Increased demand for freight services, a shortage of long-distance drivers, and a slightly simpler operating environment (highways rather than urban areas) will compete between Waymo and its rivals in autonomous technologies such as TuSimple, Embark, Aurora, and Kodiak. Is intensifying. $ 800 Billion US Truck Market-Targeting the Market.
According to J.B. Hunt, a multi-year program with Waymo, which began in Texas, will help learn how to integrate autonomous trucks into the US logistics business. The two companies did not share the financial details of the partnership. Craig Harper, Chief Sustainability Officer of J.B., said: Hunt “We believe that autonomous driving technology will help build the most efficient transportation network in North America.”
Equipped with sensors such as laser riders, radars, cameras and powerful computing systems, Waymo’s fleet of about 50 AI-enabled trucks initially operates with a human backup driver. Last month, TuSimple conducted a “driver-out” test run on one of Arizona’s trucks with no human driver in the driver’s seat.
