Autonomous semis are already being tested on roads in Texas, with industry experts predicting that fully driverless trucks could be commercially available by 2027, according to a new report. Aurora Innovation has completed unassisted runs between Dallas and Houston, covering 1,200 miles, while hauling berries for Driscoll and mining freight for Detmar Logistics.
Aurora's CEO, Chris Urmson, told the New York Times that the company plans to scale from a handful of autonomous trucks to more than 200 by the end of this year, and thousands by 2027. However, truck manufacturer Paccar has requested that safety drivers be reinstated in the cabs, though Aurora hopes to return to fully autonomous operations later this year.
Kodiak AI is also competing in the autonomous freight race, powering ten trucks for Atlas Energy Solutions to haul industrial sand on rural roads. Its CEO, Don Burnette, said the company aims to have driverless semis making long-haul deliveries by the second half of 2027, adding that they feel confident to scale quickly.
The shift towards driverless trucks could significantly boost profit margins, as driver salaries account for 26% of the per-mile cost of operating a commercial truck. The US freight trucking industry generates over $900 billion in annual revenue and is one of the country's largest employers.
However, safety concerns remain. The Teamsters union has opposed autonomous vehicles, citing crashes and failures in the technology. Missy Cummings, a former adviser to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, highlighted the unresolved issue of 'phantom braking', where vehicles brake suddenly for no apparent reason, stating that no solution is on the horizon and that the problem is often not acknowledged.
