JB Hunt eyes autonomous truck runs with Waymo Via

JB Hunt plans to bring fully autonomous trucks to Texas roads in the next “few years”, under a strategic alliance with Waymo Via. The alliance – representing Waymo Via’s first launch partner — emerged after a pilot project conducted last year.

(Photo: Waymo Via)

“We believe autonomous driving technology will help us create the most efficient transportation network in North America, and our collaboration with Waymo Via is a pivotal step towards fulfilling that mission,” said JB Hunt chief sustainability officer and executive vice-president Craig Harper. Upcoming pilot projects will run along I-45, in the same lane as the first trial runs.

“Our collaboration with JB Hunt in 2021 was incredibly fruitful,” said Charlie Jatt, Waymo’s head of commercialization for trucking.

The companies will also look at ways to merge the JB Hunt 360 freight matching platform with the autonomous trucks.