Autonomous trucking developer Aurora is to partner with Uber Freight, working initially on shipping freight in Texas, in order to investigate the integration of Aurora’s Horizon product suite with Uber’s digital freight network. The companies state that this combination will provide carriers with powerful tools to further maximize fleet utilization, broaden opportunities to haul goods, and streamline supply chain operations.
Aurora notes that a huge challenge in the freight industry is addressing underutilization and inefficient load procurement. This underuse is why many US carriers rely on Uber Freight, a logistics platform that connects shippers with its digitally enabled carrier networks.
By integrating Aurora Horizon into a digital marketplace like Uber Freight, Aurora hopes to enhance its value to carriers by providing them with additional tools to increase asset utilization and unlock more opportunities to haul goods. It will also give shippers access to a larger pool of carriers to haul local route legs. Ultimately, these opportunities should result in a more streamlined, efficient, and flexible freight logistics network.
Aurora-powered trucks with operators onboard have already begun autonomously hauling drop-and-hook loads between terminals in Dallas and Houston, transferring the loads to Uber Freight carriers to handle the first and final mile. By leveraging Uber Freight’s technology, Aurora says it was able to perform a seamless hand-off between its operators and Uber Freight’s local carriers at the terminal.
Over the next two years, Aurora says it will collaborate with Uber to integrate its Beacon cloud-based infrastructure with the latter’s network.