Sunday, February 20, 2022

Waymo partners with C.H. Robinson to test autonomous trucks in Texas

A Waymo Via autonomous truck. Waymo Wednesday announced a Texas autonomous truck test in partnership with C.H. Robinson. Photo courtesy of Waymo

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Waymo said Wednesday that its autonomous trucks will be tested in Texas in a new partnership with C.H. Robinson.

Waymo and C.H. Robinson will test autonomous truck deliveries along a 240-mile route between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.

"As we continue commercializing our Waymo Via solution for Class 8 trucking, we're partnering with C.H. Robinson, one of the world's largest logistics platforms and a leader in the transportation industry, to integrate the Waymo Driver into supply chains and make autonomous freight movement a reality for their customers," Waymo said in a press statement.

Waymo said this is a strategic, long-term partnership that will initially include multiple pilot tests in Texas.

Waymo said it's also partnering with truck manufacturers like Daimler Truck to build trucks that will be designed for and equipped with the Waymo driver. Fleets of these trucks will be bought by carriers.

"We look forward to this collaboration with C.H. Robinson, both for their deep roots and experience in logistics and transportation, but also as a company that shares our vision of how technology and autonomous trucking can change our industry for the better," Charlie Jatt, head of commercialization for trucking at Waymo Via, said in a statement.

C.H. Robinson is a Minnesota-based brokerage company.

"We are excited to partner with Waymo Via to explore how autonomous driving technology can help bring increased capacity and sustainability into our logistics strategies," Chris O'Brien, C.H. Robinson's chief commercial officer, said in Waymo's press statement.

Waymo is owned by Google parent company Alphabet.

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