Aurora prepares customers for self-driving vehicles Page 1

Aurora has transported more than 7,000 loads for pilot customers across nearly two million commercial miles to date. (Photo: Aurora)

“We strongly believe that engaging key partners – the people who will interact with the Aurora Driver on a regular basis – is critical to the success of our self-driving commercial product,” said Ossa Fisher, president of Aurora. “Our Partner Summit allows us to showcase the capabilities and competencies of the Aurora Driver and build confidence with our stakeholders that we are on the right path to safely deploying self-driving trucks.”

Aurora Partner Summit

The Aurora Partner Summit brings together more than 20 carriers, as well as industry safety experts, regulators, first responders and law enforcement from the national, state and local levels for collaborative conversations on a wide range of industry topics.

Aurora Chief Safety Officer Nat Beuse will outline the company’s approach to evaluating Aurora Driver’s readiness for driverless operations between Dallas and Houston through the closing of the Safety Case. Additionally, law enforcement and first responder professionals will share their experiences with Aurora and how they are preparing for driverless trucks in Texas.

Partner Success Program

Aurora is launching an industry-first Partner Success Program that puts customer drivers and supervisors in the cab of Aurora Driver-driven trucks to evaluate autonomy performance prior to driverless operations. To validate the program, Aurora engaged JJ Keller, a trusted source in safety and regulatory compliance, to take a ride and provide feedback on the experience. The program is scheduled to begin in Q4 2024.

Phoenix Route Expansion

As part of the company’s effort to create value for carriers, Aurora plans to expand its route from Fort Worth to El Paso by opening operations to Phoenix. The company expects to begin commercial customer pilots between Fort Worth and Phoenix in the first half of 2025, with the goal of launching driverless operations on that route later this year. The 1,000-mile route takes more than 15 hours to complete, making it particularly attractive for autonomous vehicles.