Driverless semi-trucks are on the road

By Erin Jones

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    NORTH TEXAS, Texas (KTVT) — For the first time, driverless semi-trucks with no one behind the wheel are on the road in North Texas. It’s part of a commercial launch in North Texas by Aurora Innovation, a tech company making big waves in the world of autonomous freight.

“This is a true moment in history,” the President of Aurora Innovation, Ossa Fisher said. “No one has done what we’ve done.”

First driverless semi-trucks hit North Texas roads

Aurora Innovation has officially launched commercial driverless trucking operations on I-45 between Dallas and Houston. Fisher said the company’s Aurora Driver system is powered by sensors, cameras, and radars.

“This allows us to see the world 360° around the vehicle, four football fields in any direction,” she said.

Fisher said these trucks can operate 24/7, a game-changer in an industry facing labor shortages and rising demand.

“We’re really helping the industry, helping America,” she said. “The governor, in particular, he supported our launch. He came out with a quote endorsing Aurora as being on the innovation front here in Texas.”

Aurora has released a safety report showing how its technology works. The company collaborated with federal and state agencies.

Safety and testing of driverless trucks “We have over 3 million miles on public roads, billions of miles in simulation where we have tested various use cases to make sure that we’re safe and gracious in how we’re driving,” Fisher said.

The company has had one minor crash involving a truck traveling between Fort Worth and El Paso. However, authorities determined it was caused by an out-of-control driver in another vehicle.

“It’s one minor crash, but you’re talking about Aurora, who has only driven a minimal number of miles,” experienced Car and Truck Wreck Attorney Amy Witherite said. “When you’re talking about an 80,000-pound vehicle, when there’s a mistake made, the likelihood of someone dying or getting catastrophically injured goes way up.”

Witherite believes more testing needs to be done and wants to see more data released publicly. She also raises concerns about the technology being hacked.

“You can’t actually port into the Aurora Driver and tell it what to do,” Fisher said. “We can only give it advice. So our command center, which is where we are right now, can say, ‘Hey, think about pulling over.’ But if it ever gives advice that is not safe, like, ‘Run over that cement barrier,’ the Aurora Driver thinks about that and says, ‘Nope, not going to do that.'”

Aurora plans to grow across the U.S.

By the end of this year, Aurora plans to expand to El Paso and Phoenix, Arizona.

“Then you’ll see us over the next several years expand across the entirety of the southern United States and then slowly moving north over time,” Fisher said.

The company believes this is the future of transportation.

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