Waymo's Autonomous Semi-Trailer Trucks to Deliver Wayfair's Home Goods

Waymo and J.B. Hunt Transport Services have formed a new partnership that will soon see self-driving massive rigs transporting Wayfair furniture down Interstate 45. Waymo will use its fleet of autonomous semi-trailers to carry household products for Wayfair, the company said on Tuesday.

Waymo Is Testing Self-Driving Trucks in Texas

According to The Verge, the deliveries will take place as part of a pilot project that Waymo and JB Hunt Transport Services are running in Texas to test self-driving trucks on certain shipping routes. One of JB Hunt's clients, Wayfair, a well-known retailer of furniture and home products, will begin using Waymo's fleet for deliveries in July and August as part of a six-week pilot.

Deliveries will be made using Waymo's Class 8 autonomous truck, which will transport items between facilities in Houston and Dallas along Interstate 45. This is the same route that Waymo and JB Hunt used for the initial pilot last year. Meanwhile, The Dallas Morning News noted that Class 8 vehicles, such as heavy rigs, cement trucks, and dump trucks, are referred to as "severe-duty" vehicles.

The Verge mentioned that the trucks will drive themselves, but two Waymo employees-a professional driver and a software engineer-will monitor them from the cab of the vehicle.

"Every supply chain is unique," Craig Harper, chief sustainability officer and executive vice president at J.B. Hunt said, "so it's important that customers can work alongside J.B. Hunt and Waymo to ensure that advanced autonomous technology will create capacity that meets their needs."

Waymo's Autonomous Efforts

Waymo separates its autonomous initiatives into two groups: Waymo One, a ride-hailing service for consumers, and Waymo Via, a branch devoted to the transportation of goods using both trucking and local delivery methods, as per The Verge.

In addition, Waymo has made a flurry of transactions recently intended to expand its fledgling trucking business while its ride-sharing service advances slowly. It stated that instead of working with truck manufacturers, carriers, and brokers to incorporate its technology into the freight transportation industry, it has no ambitions to own or manage its own fleet of trucks. The company also collaborates with CH Robinson and Uber Freight, the on-demand brokerage of the ridesharing industry.

Waymo is actively testing the fifth iteration of its "Driver," the term it uses to describe its combination of hardware, sensors, and AI software, on its own test fleet of Class 8 trucks. Moreover, the company is working with Mercedes-Benz's parent firm, Daimler, to develop a Level 4 fully autonomous truck system.

Waymo and J.B. Hunt Transport Services' Partnerships

The Dallas Morning News reported that the two companies have a history of working together. Waymo and J.B. Hunt said in January that they will work toward fully autonomous truck transportation in the "next few years."

J.B. Hunt and Waymo started testing autonomous freight operations between Fort Worth and Houston on Interstate 45 in 2021 as partners. More than 862,000 pounds of freight were transported throughout the pilot, with 100% on-time pick-up and delivery and no accidents.

Waymo is testing self-driving trucks in Arizona, New Mexico, and California in addition to Texas.