Uber Freight, a digital freight brokerage service, and self-driving-vehicle technology company Aurora are expanding their autonomous multiphase pilot that began in December 2021 with a new 600-mile lane between Dallas/Fort Worth and El Paso. Weekly hauls began in November for packing solutions distributor Veritiv. They will continue through and beyond the 2022 holiday season, the companies said.

The pilot provides critical first-hand learnings around autonomous truck deployment — creating a blueprint for how the Aurora Driver will be integrated and safely deployed and scaled across the Uber Freight network in the coming years, the companies said. Testing during this peak season also shows autonomous trucks' potential impact when demand quickly fluctuates.

“Veritiv’s next-generation supply chain strategy is to create and sustain a competitive advantage in operations with innovative and efficient technologies,” Mike Walkenhorst, senior vice president of global operations and developing businesses for Veritiv, said in a statement.