Waymo Via and Uber Freight are partnering to accelerate the rollout of autonomous trucks across the US.
Throughout the partnership, Waymo will integrate its driverless technology into Uber Freight’s platform to deploy autonomous trucks across Uber’s network. Uber Freight shippers will be able to access trucks in Waymo Via’s test fleet, and in the future, carriers who purchase trucks equipped with the Waymo Driver will be able to opt into Uber Freight.
Boris Sofman, Head of Engineering for Trucking, Waymo Via, said:Partnering with Uber Freight opens up really interesting opportunities for us to help scale the Waymo Driver. By combining the Waymo Via solution with the Uber Freight platform, we’ll be able to apply proven marketplace technology to help carriers dynamically deploy the Waymo Driver where it’s most valuable and most capable. We can’t wait to see what else comes from this deep collaboration.
Waymo Via will also reserve billions of its upcoming goods-only miles for the Uber Freight network, making capacity available for Uber’s shippers. The two partners believe that by working together on this project, they can provide a way to address the rising shipping demand in the US, especially given the growing shortage of drivers.
Lior Ron, Head of Uber Freight said:Uber Freight’s extensive, efficient and reliable digital network is essential to making autonomous trucks a reality. We are uniquely positioned to be the preferred network for autonomous trucks, with the scale and the marketplace expertise to deploy autonomous trucks in a way that benefits the entire industry. This partnership is an exciting leap forward, and we are proud to work alongside the amazing team at Waymo Via to pioneer a hybrid freight network that truly empowers carriers and will ring in a new era of logistics.
Waymo and Uber hope to demonstrate that autonomous truck technology can be deployed safely, efficiently and at scale.
