Bot Auto said it has successfully booked, moved and delivered what it's calling the American autonomous trucking industry's first fully humanless, over-the-road commercial truckload.
The 230-mile route from Riggy's Truck Parking in northeast Houston to Safe Stop in Hutchins, just south of Dallas, marks Bot Auto's first commercial load delivered without a safety driver onboard, without relying on any low-latency remote human feedback and without an in-cab observer.
The overnight lane was booked by Bot Auto's broker partner, Ryan Transportation.
"At Ryan Transportation, we're constantly evaluating new solutions that enhance service, safety and reliability for our shipper partners," said Jeff Henderson, senior vice president at Ryan Transportation, in a statement. "Forming this partnership is a strategic decision based on Bot Auto's proven technology and the role autonomous trucking will play long-term in logistics. It will strengthen our ability to provide dependable, high-frequency capacity on time-sensitive freight while maintaining the operational standards our customers expect."
The completion of this 230-mile commercial run is a validation of Bot Auto's autonomous driving system.
"People told me autonomous trucking commercialization still had a long way to go. This load is my answer. We did not build a demonstration, we built a business: commercial freight, on public roads, with no human in the cab or remote driving, operating between third-party logistics hubs, and most importantly, making money on every mile. That was my commercial vision for this revolutionary technology a decade ago. Now we intend to set that as the standard in America, with no asterisks and no caveats. Houston to Dallas is mile one," said Bot Auto Founder and CEO Dr. Xiaodi Hou in a statement.
Bot Auto is expanding its operating network, deepening its partnership with Ryan Transportation and proving that humanless trucking is a repeatable commercial service.
