Waymo and
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) has announced a collaboration to autonomously move freight in Texas for one of J.B. Hunt’s leading customers. This test run will use Waymo Via the company’s autonomous Class 8 trucking unit that is powered by the Waymo Driver to transport freight between facilities in Houston and Fort Worth, Texas. Level 4 autonomous driving technology will be utilized and supervised by Waymo autonomous specialists as a commercially licensed driver and a software technician will be on board to monitor the Waymo Driver’s operations through the transports. “This will be one of the first opportunities for J.B. Hunt to receive data and feedback on customer freight moved with a Class 8 tractor operating at this level of autonomy,” said Craig Harper, chief sustainability officer and executive vice president at J.B. Hunt. “While we believe there will be a need for highly skilled, professional drivers for many years to come, it is important for J.B. Hunt as an industry leader to be involved early in the development of advanced autonomous technologies and driving systems to ensure that their implementation will improve efficiency while enhancing safety.”