How Aurora Got Self-Driving Trucks On The Road

Trucking is an integral part of the economy, representing over 70 percent of freight moved in the United States. Yet it is dogged by driver shortages, safety issues and supply chain challenges. Pittsburgh-based Aurora is hoping to solve these problem and more by bringing self-driving technology to trucks. While other self-driving companies like Starsky Robotics, Embark and TuSimple have folded or scaled back efforts in the U.S., Aurora is moving ahead and is now delivering loads for customers like Uber Freight and Fedex in Texas. CNBC got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at its self-driving operation outside of Dallas to see what a driverless future for trucks could look like.

Chapters:
2:54 Ch 1 Aurora
5:58 Ch 2 Self-driving in Texas
9:34 Ch 3 Challenges

Produced, Shot and Edited by: Andrew Evers
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Camera: Katie Tarasov
Animation: Jason Reginato
Narration: Robert Ferris
Additional Footage: Getty Images, Aurora, Starsky Robotics, Embark, TuSimple

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How Aurora Got Self-Driving Trucks On The Road

[Python-]

There is no trucker shortage. Just pay shortages

[colorado]

A long time ago they invented a way of making trucks (almost completely) driverless. They are call railway tracks.

[truckerdude]

Can't wait to see what these trucks are capable of in adverse weather conditions IE: snow, ice, heavy, rain, and wind.
Edit: I'm being sarcastic by the way. Some of you are taking my comment as if I want these plastic turds on the road instead of competent drivers behind the wheel.

[thomasdooley]

Be a goal achiever
Always aim high so your dreams can come to reality
Use your job to finance your goals✅
You can't be an employee forever!
Consistent efforts in trading/investment will put you in a position where success will find you

[MrJoemarV]

As a trucker, obviously I’m against machines taking my job! The only thing I can think of this being beneficial to me is AI driving does my driving on long highways then switches to me when in the city on the last mile or switches to me during bad weather, letting me run nonstop.

[blthetube]

Anyone who knows trucking knows there are thousands of places that autonomy fails starting with the nature of LTL. When I can see an autonomous truck pull into a pot hole filled lot with barely enough room to move and back a trailer with inches to spare between obstacles, then I might be a believer. I would like to see it find a parking spot at a Pilot and back in😅

[steven]

Note that these trucks are diesels. The issues of driverless trucks and electric trucks are separate issues.

[daniellepreyar]

Its really happening! My dad is a newly retired truck driver, his income allowed him to provide well for me and my siblings growing up. I'm sure he never thought he'd see self driving trucks in his lifetime. Its wild.

[dwoolf]

These companies will try to sell to consumers that things will be cheaper because of lower labor costs. Not only will jobs be gone but your products will not be any cheaper as companies hold onto a fatter profit margin.

[robf]

The truck driver is exactly right. This tech is amazing for helping drivers stay safe during long monotonous drives but theres no way these trucks will drive without someone behind the wheel

[bignick]

Self driving trucks won’t get rid of drivers entirely but it will change the industry tremendously.

It’s main advantage in the beginning will primarily be in OTR driving. Open highways, warehouse to warehouse deliveries is where it will shine.

Where it will have difficulty is in local cities.

[leor]

The industry seems to be concerned mostly about reducing regulations for the autonomous driving system, in other words reducing their liability. And the other issue seems to be they want to reduce costs, or put another way increase profit and leaving the public holding the bag on the backs of their drivers.

[MB-idun]

As a trucker I’ll say 4 wheelers will put this technology in a test. Instead of paying drivers well to make a living now getting rid of the drivers. Good job Corporate America.

Tell me who’ll chain up those tires? Fill up the tanks. Don’t forget about lawsuits in case of accidents. There’s a lot to mention but manufacturers and policy makers don’t know anything about OTR.

[christopherhobb]

Every family has that one person who will break the family's financial struggle, I hope you become the one 😊

[simondahl]

“Our economy runs on the trucking industry” Yeah. The economy also runs on people having jobs and wages.

[richardthomas]

This is a prime example of what I call business reporting as PR cheerleading. It isn't journalism.

[__]

Driverless, these vehicles need their own road. Oh ya we invented that already, it's called a train

[Nabee_H]

This would never work for big cities like NYC or Toronto (at least for now) but I could definitely see a trucker using this as a sort of Autopilot just like how a Pilot does, when the trucker merges onto the highway he can head to bed, eat or watch some TV and can simply head back to the drivers seat when merging off the highway.

[vladimirgollumputin]

These "self-driving'' trucks might be fine on open road but there's no way they can back into tight spots without hitting something. This is why they never show footage of the trucks backing into cramped loading docks on their own.

[rendermanpro]

— Thousand cashiers lost jobs
— I'm not a cashier, it's ok
— Thousand call center operators lost jobs
— I'm not a operator, it's fine
— Thousand drivers lost jobs
— I'm not a driver, I don't care
Then one day they will come for terminate your Quality of service and customer support falling apart, prices are still the same....