Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) and FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) announced the expansion of their pilot program to autonomouslymove FedEx shipments on an additional commercial lane in Texas.
In March 2022, Aurora’s next-generation autonomous trucks –based on the new Peterbilt 579 – began to transport FedEx shipmentsbetween Aurora’s new terminals in Fort Worth and El Paso. Aurora ismaking the 600-mile trip on a weekly basis with safety drivers onboard and expects to increase the frequency of trips in the comingmonths. Aurora continues to move shipments for FedEx betweenAurora’s South Dallas terminal and its new Houston terminal on adaily basis.
Progress and momentum: FedEx and Aurora pilot snapshot
Since the commercial pilot began in September 2021, Aurora’sdeliveries of FedEx shipments between Dallas and Houston have been on time.
With each trip, the Aurora Driver (Aurora’s self-drivingtechnology product) is providing thousands of FedEx customers withpackages that were autonomously transported.
Aurora moves trailers for FedEx during various weatherconditions and all hours of the day and night, optimizing fleetutilization.
Aurora completed daily hauls during the 2021 peak Holidayseason, the busiest time of year for FedEx.
To date, the companies have completed 60,000 miles with zerosafety incidents.
Aurora’s performance throughout this pilot demonstrates thevalue proposition autonomous trucking offers for transportation andlogistics providers as Aurora works toward the commercial launch ofits autonomous trucks. In light of the headwinds facing thelogistics industry – ranging from increasing demand for the quicktransportation of shipments to a challenging labor market – theAurora Driver, when integrated into existing linehaul operations,has potential to provide a reliable, efficient linehaul solution tohelp address such industry concerns.
“Innovation is in our DNA – our culture drives us to thinkradically and differently, finding new ways to use technology toenhance safety, improve our operations, empower our team membersand help our customers succeed,” said Rebecca Yeung, Corporate VicePresident, Operations Science & Advanced Technology, FedExCorporation. “Aurora has been a like-minded collaborator, helpingus learn from and grow our autonomous trucking solutions. We lookforward to our continued work together as we test furtherintegration of autonomous technology into our operations to build acollaborative, robust network of solutions to respond to growingcustomer demand.”
“Some time ago, I was asked why the general public should careabout autonomous trucking. This is why. In six months of workingwith FedEx, we’ve safely, reliably, and efficiently transportedpackages for tens of thousands of FedEx customers,” said SterlingAnderson, Aurora Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer. “This laneexpansion came ahead of schedule and we’re delighted to continuebuilding the future of trucking with one of the country’s biggestand most important transportation companies.”