Waymo, J.B. Hunt expand tie-up to commercialize autonomous trucking technology

FILE PHOTO: The Waymo logo is displayed during the company's unveil of a self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) - U.S. truck fleet operator J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Alphabet Inc's self-driving unit Waymo are expanding their alliance to deploy fully autonomous trucking operations in Texas in the next few years, the companies said on Friday.

In June last year, the companies began testing self-driving trucks supervised by a driver and a technician to deliver cargo between Houston and Fort Worth in Texas.

The companies said their extended collaboration will include analyzing the operational capacity of Waymo Via, which covers trucking to last-mile deliveries, to address customer needs.

J.B. Hunt also said it would explore a technological integration with Waymo, in which Waymo Via would be made accessible on its digital marketplace J.B. Hunt 360.

Although Waymo and other companies have been developing autonomous driver technology for over a decade, large-scale commercial operations of such services for moving freight or everyday commute have not come to fruition yet.

U.S. trucking and delivery firms are already struggling with driver shortages, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, difficult working conditions and an aging workforce.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.)