Aurora Innovation is taking a major step toward commercializing autonomous trucking at scale, announcing an expanded strategic partnership with refrigerated carrier Hirschbach Motor Lines that includes plans for 500 driverless trucks.

The companies signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding outlining Hirschbach’s intent to deploy 500 trucks equipped with the Aurora Driver, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.

Final terms are anticipated to be completed in binding agreements later this year.

If finalized, the deal would support up to 500 million driverless miles across Hirschbach’s network while creating a multi-year revenue stream for Aurora valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The Aurora Driver will provide consistent 24/7 service to our customers, making it an important growth lever for our business,” said Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach Motor Lines. “The Aurora Driver will handle the lengthier, less desirable routes, providing our drivers with greater flexibility. It’s a win-win.”

Aurora CEO Chris Urmson said early adopters like Hirschbach are demonstrating how quickly fleets move from testing to scaling autonomous operations.

“The industry is primed for this product, and our momentum toward meaningful commercial revenue is hitting a new gear,” Urmson said.

Preparing for Commercial Scale

Hirschbach plans to adopt Aurora’s Driver as a Service (DaaS) model, in which the carrier owns the trucks while subscribing to Aurora’s autonomous driving system.

The approach is designed to give fleets control over assets and total cost of ownership while enabling Aurora to operate a capital-efficient, high-margin business model.

The 500-truck deployment represents one of the largest publicly announced commitments to autonomous trucking to date and signals growing confidence in the technology’s near-term viability.

The trucks will operate across Aurora’s expanding network, with a focus on high-volume lanes in the Sun Belt and beyond.

Aurora recently began driverless deliveries to Laredo, Texas, supporting one of Hirschbach’s major customers. The carrier is also active on Aurora’s roughly 1,000-mile corridor between Fort Worth and Phoenix, a key route in its coast-to-coast refrigerated network.

To date, Aurora has logged more than 800,000 miles and hauled over 2,000 loads for Hirschbach.

Building a Hybrid Network

Hirschbach’s long-term strategy centers on a hybrid model combining autonomous trucks with human drivers.

Under that approach, driverless trucks would handle long-haul routes, while human drivers focus on shorter, regional runs that allow for more home time.

“We’re proud to deploy a hybrid network with our drivers and autonomous trucks as we move toward a safer, more efficient future for refrigerated freight,” Stocking said.

The announcement underscores a broader industry shift toward integrating autonomy into existing fleet operations rather than replacing drivers outright -- at least in the near term.