J.B. Hunt and Waymo Via intend to complete fully autonomous transport in Texas in the next few years
The new pilots are expected to occur along I-45 in Texas. (Credit: J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.)
Supply chain solutions provider J.B. Hunt Transport Services has expanded its partnership with Waymo Via to advance autonomous trucking trials.
The partnership is aimed at integrating commercial autonomous driving technology in transportation and logistics.
J.B. Hunt and Waymo Via intend to complete fully autonomous transport in Texas in the next few years.
Under the expanded collaboration, the two companies plan to carry out multiple pilots for further analysis of the operational capacity of Waymo Via to address customer needs in realistic scenarios.
Waymo Via is the company’s autonomous Class 8 trucking unit powered by the Waymo Driver.
Last year, Waymo and J.B. Hunt conducted first trial runs for the transportation of freight along I-45 in Texas for one of J.B. Hunt’s customers.
The new pilots are also expected to occur in the same lane.
Waymo trucking commercialisation head Charlie Jatt said: “Our collaboration with J.B. Hunt in 2021 was incredibly fruitful.
“Establishing this strategic alliance marks an exciting moment for our relationship, and more importantly, paves the way for us both to help grow the foundations for successful deployment and to capitalize on the benefits of autonomous driving technology.
“We’re incredibly grateful for our relationship with J.B. Hunt and their shared vision for the safety and efficiency benefits we can bring to the industry at a critical time.”
The expanded partnership will also see the two companies exploring solutions, combining autonomous driving technology and the digital marketplace.
The combined solution is expected to make Waymo Via available through J.B. Hunt 360, a technology platform for digital freight matching.
To refine the commercial readiness of the driving technology, the partnership will also involve operational and market studies.
In December last year, Geely Holding Group’s (Geely) premium electric brand Zeekr has partnered with Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo to develop all-electric, fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle.
The vehicles are planned to be deployed in the Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing fleet in the US.