Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation are launching Premier Autonomy. The new program will provide early access to over one billion of Aurora’s driverless miles to Uber Freight carriers through 2030, the companies said.

Premier Autonomy is the latest in the two company’s longstanding partnership aimed at integrating and deploying autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network. The companies said they hope to enable carriers of all sizes to improve utilization and enhance business efficiency through autonomous technology.

Additionally, Uber Freight will be one of Aurora's first customers on its Dallas-to-Houston freight route, with driverless hauls for shippers expected at the end of 2024.

“Uber Freight and Aurora see a tremendous opportunity to democratize autonomous trucks for carriers of all sizes, enabling them to drive more revenue, scale their fleets, and strengthen their bottom lines,” said Lior Ron, founder and chief executive officer of Uber Freight. “Autonomous trucks will make moving goods more efficient, and this industry-first program will help facilitate and accelerate the adoption of autonomous trucks with our carriers. We’re proud to work alongside the amazing team at Aurora to bring this technology into the hands of carriers and ultimately usher in a new era of logistics.”

Industry-First Premier Autonomy Program

To pave the way for Uber Freight carriers to begin driverless operations in the years to come, the Premier Autonomy program will offer carriers an early and streamlined path to purchase and onboard the Aurora Driver.

Premier Autonomy benefits include:

• Subscription to the Aurora Driver for autonomous freight hauling.

• Opportunity to access over one billion driverless miles through 2030.

• High utilization of autonomous trucks via a planned, seamless integration of the Aurora Driver into the Uber Freight platform.

“With Uber Freight, we can provide hundreds of carriers Premier Autonomy to autonomous truck capacity that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Ossa Fisher, president of Aurora. “Working with carriers of all sizes is one of the many ways we will transform the industry and see thousands of driverless trucks on the road, it’s exciting and validating that companies like Uber Freight are reserving our long-term capacity for their customers. We all see collective value in this offering.”

Strengthening the Bottom Line for Carriers of All Sizes

Aurora and Uber Freight said Premier Autonomy enables carriers of all sizes to utilize transformative technology to enhance their operations.

Today, they noted, a human-driven truck takes two to three days to move freight from Dallas to Los Angeles. With the Aurora Driver, that trip has the potential to be completed in a single day.

Aurora’s research indicates autonomous trucks have the potential of being up to 32% more energy efficient than traditional trucking by optimizing highway speeds, reducing deadhead miles and idling, increasing vehicle utilization and off-peak driving, programmed eco-driving, and more.

Uber Freight and Aurora have hauled millions of pounds of cargo since pilots began in 2020. The companies said these test runs have unlocked critical lessons about how to effectively move goods autonomously.

The companies said they are committed to a meticulous approach to driverless deployment, ensuring qualified carriers can seamlessly access dedicated capacity.

Deep integration of the Aurora Driver into the Uber Freight network will create a seamless and familiar experience for customers. The Uber Freight network will also identify shippers with suitable freight for the Aurora Driver to optimize utilization.