Uber Freight Partners with Aurora Innovation to Launch Autonomous Trucking Network by 2030

Uber Freight Partners with Aurora Innovation to Launch Autonomous Trucking Network by 2030

Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation have announced a multi-year collaboration extending through 2030, to integrate Aurora’s autonomous driving technology into the Uber Freight network. This partnership provides Aurora access to Uber Freight's extensive $18 billion shipping customer base as it gears up for a fully driverless commercial service launch later this year. Aurora will start by operating a fleet of 20 autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network and later transition to a Driver-as-a-Service (DaaS) model, where carriers purchase trucks equipped with Aurora's technology. 

This agreement comes amid a challenging freight market, with lower demand and increased costs causing a decline in freight rates and revenue for Uber Freight. The collaboration aims to address issues like labor shortages and underutilized fleets in the trucking industry. Uber, which retains a stake in Aurora after selling its self-driving unit Uber ATG to the company in 2020, seeks a return on its investment through this partnership. 

The initiative also includes a Premier Autonomy program, launching this week, to prepare carriers for integrating and using Aurora’s technology. Aurora plans to have its autonomous vehicle hardware mass-produced by 2027, aligning with the broader rollout of its DaaS model.