The chances of encountering a big rig on the road without a driver behind the wheel are growing as autonomous commercial trucking companies further develop their systems, enter into key partnerships and expand their operating territories.

Some of these companies operate large fleets while at least one runs just a handful of trucks. In all cases the goals are to maximize efficiency and cost-savings while offsetting the effects of the persistent driver shortage.

Starting small, big ideas

Operating just four trucks out of its Houston base, startup Bot Auto is the creation of Xiaodi Hou, the former co-founder of TuSimple. Dissatisfied with the direction of the company, Hou left in 2022 and created Bot Auto, bringing along several other former TuSimple employees who also felt disenfranchised.

Working with several local dealers and outsourcing most of the hardware, Bot then retrofits the trucks with its autonomous technology at its facility, according to Hou. For now, he’s keeping the company from growing too quickly.

"We are a very scrappy company now. So one thing that we need to resist doing is to scale up before we're ready," said Hou, in an interview. "So now we have a very modest fleet of four trucks. We do not plan to expand our footprint in operation until we're ready, and the meaning for ready is that until we're basically breaking even on a per mile basis."

In March, the company announced a minimum four-month pilot program hauling cargo for commercial shippers between Houston and San Antonio with no driver behind the wheel.

The pilot program follows a successful hub-to-hub demonstration conducted last October with driverless trips between Houston and cities that included Dallas, San Antonio and Laredo.

For now, Bot will remain small until Hou feels confident its technology is sound enough, but he’s not concerned about competing with other larger or more established companies, but rather the reputation of the autonomous trucking industry as a whole.

"Our arch enemy is the whole credibility of this entire industry,” he explained. “So I think in order for me to be successful, for Bot to be successful, we need to solve that problem. I do not like the attitude of waiting for some other more successful players to solve the problem for us."

Nevertheless, Hou says Bot has moved quickly from inception to demonstration, delivering hub-to-hub autonomy in 15 months, $16 million and 45 employees.

Plus adds capabilities

Silicon Valley autonomous software company Plus, recently announced completion of validation tests for its SuperDrive system, which consists of redundant sensors and computers.

The tests were conducted on a seven-and-a-half mile high-speed test track in Ohio, autonomously performing maneuvers that it might have to do on the highway, such as pulling over the shoulder, stopping in lane, navigating construction zones and other unexpected situations.

"Nothing went wrong. It was totally smooth and it was amazing," said chief architect and Plus co-founder Tim Daly during a virtual briefing.

The company also announced a collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company where Plus’s autonomous technology is installed on the South Korean automaker’s hydrogen fuel cell XCIENT truck.

It’s a combination that not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions, but operating costs as well, according to Shawn Kerrigan, Plus chief operating officer and co-founder during the virtual briefing following the April announcement.

Founded in 2016, Plus is partnering with an array of companies that include Amazon, Bosch, DSV, Hyundai Motor Company, Iveco Group, Luminar, Scania / MAN / International (formerly Navistar) of the TRATON GROUP, and Transurban.

Indeed, such partnerships, especially with vehicle companies, otherwise known in the trade as OEMs, original equipment manufacturers, are vital to building to a scale where it’s possible to commercialize autonomous trucking, according to Plus CEO and co-founder David Liu.

"You need an OEM partner to launch commercial driverless trucking operation. Why? Because at the end of the day, you need redundant platform. You need validation of your overall system, not just your virtual driver, the whole system," said Liu, in an interview. "Yes, you need to get certification to be able to hand over these trucks to the fleets to run the operations."

Plus looks to reach that point in 2027 when it plans to launch its first commercialization in Texas, followed by expected expansion into other Sunbelt states and Europe.

On May 1, autonomous trucking company Aurora announced it launched commercial service on public roads in between Dallas and Houston, Texas.

Driving a solution

The trucking industry has seen an ongoing driver shortage for several years due to several factors that include the Covid pandemic, weak economy and job dissatisfaction. As of last fall, the shortage stood at about 78,000 drivers, according to a report in CDLjobs.com.

Running trucks without drivers could ameliorate the situation, say both Hou and Liu, but not completely or soon.

"I did a very aggressive and optimistic estimate on how many trucks that Bot Auto, in the best case scenario, can operate," said Hou. "I don't foresee that before 2033 that we can even cover the gap of driver shortage."

Plus’s Liu is more optimistic. He understands driving a truck over long distances, being away from home for extended periods and having to haul loads at odd hours are factors discouraging a lot of people from getting behind the wheel of a commercial truck.

Running more driverless trucks, could help solve that problem, along with others.

"With this technology, it's just going to make our transportation network so much more efficient, so much better," asserts Liu. "It's going to make our drivers life so much better. Overall, if you look at the long view of what we're able to do with this type of technology, it's better for everyone. It's better for society."