Last month, the rideshare service, Uber, launched an option to take a ride in the self-driving cars, Waymo. This month, a new autonomous vehicle will begin operating on Texas roads, a self-driving tractor-trailer. Self-driving tractor-trailers are not entirely unheard of in the Lone Star State, as they have been driving around for the last few years, starting in 2021. However, any self-driving tractor-trailer has not been entirely alone up to this point, as drivers have been present in the vehicle anytime, they have been in motion in order to override and drive the vehicle if need be. Now, with the driverless Waymos taking people around Texas, one fully autonomous tractor-trailer will be put to use without a driver present in the vehicle.

The tractor-trailer comes from Aurora Innovation Inc.

Aurora Innovation Inc. is a Pittsburgh based company that has been operating their vehicles in Texas for a few years. The vehicles are all tractor-trailers meant to haul freight without the need for a driver. This month they have announced they will begin the new phase of their vehicle testing which is removing the emergency driver from the vehicle.

Jake Martin, the head of the strategic communications department at Aurora, gave a statement on behalf of the company. He shared that over the last couple of years, the role of the emergency driver has become very limited, which is why they are moving on to their next phase of testing with the first entirely empty vehicle. After a sufficient period of this phase, they will slowly roll out more vehicles without a person in the vehicle. Martin said, “We start with a single one, go to the tens by the end of the year and then, over the course of the next five years, go to like, hundreds and then eventually, thousands.”

While Aurora starts their next phase, Waymo has begun theirs.

The collaboration of Uber with Waymo vehicles is still fairly new. Another autonomous vehicle company, Cruise, had previously been testing in Austin. However, a little over a year ago, they stopped their testing in the city. This left the market wide open, an opportunity Waymo was not going to pass up.

Waymos offer a few Uber services available.

When requesting an Uber within the 37 square miles of Austin city proper, you have the potential to be matched with a Waymo car. Specifically, you may find yourself in a Waymo if you order an UberX, Uber Green, Comfort, or Comfort Electric.

Working with Uber has made the Waymo testing more successful than Cruise’s testing in Austin. People are familiar with Uber and trust the rideshare service more than a random new app like Cruise required. Additionally, people in general are simply more likely to book a ride with Uber than directly through the autonomous service. When riding in a Waymo with Uber, if you book a ride that is eligible for a Waymo car, you will be notified if one is available. You are given the option to accept the ride or request a vehicle with a driver. With this, Waymo has found people are more likely to ride in a Waymo vehicle, aiding in their testing.