A Houston autonomous vehicle company plans to have no drivers in their self-driving trucks, making it one of the many businesses bringing the large, driverless vehicles to Texas highways. 

Bot Auto has completed fully autonomous testing between Houston and San Antonio since last fall. The company plans to launch fully driverless operations for an initial four months.

Bart Teeter, director of fleet and operational safety with Bot Auto, presented the company's technology and trucks to local transportation and law enforcement agencies on Thursday at the Houston TranStar building. 

“One of the things that we’re very proud of is we're a later entry into the market, and so we've been able to leverage the advances in A.I. that some of the companies that started before us didn't have,” he said. 

Teeter, who formerly worked at the Texas Highway Patrol, said safety is one of the reasons he advocates for these vehicles on Texas highways. Texas led the nation in fatal large truck crashes between 2018 and 2022, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

Teeter believes that using these smart trucks to carry freight could help prevent further crashes caused by humans. 

“We like to brag, right? We’re Texans. Things are bigger in Texas. Well, the one thing I never really wanted to brag about was how big our crash problem is,” he said. 

Bot Auto spokesperson Jeremy Desel said the Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment — documents encouraged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for companies that develop and launch automated driving systems — will be released in the next couple of weeks. 

Teeter said the trucks will operate fully autonomously, without a driver, by the end of summer. It will not haul hazardous materials. 

Who is Bot Auto? 

Bot Auto was founded in 2023. It operates a fleet of driverless trucks and partners with other businesses to provide autonomous freight transportation. 

The company’s mission is to “enhance the safety and efficiency of commercial trucking while maintaining the highest standards of public safety.” 

“We want to be transparent. We want these questions. We want this interaction with our first responders, regulatory bodies,” Teeter said. “We want these conversations before we remove drivers.”

How do the trucks work?

Bot Auto has six heavy-duty diesel 18-wheelers that use cameras, radars and lidar units like other autonomous trucks. The mounted sensor array on the vehicle has eight Lidar sensors and 15 high-definition cameras.

The company's name and USDOT number will clearly mark each truck.

The technology gives the trucks a 360-degree view and the ability to spot objects up to 500 meters ahead. They can also detect cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. 

Teeter said they can slow down when they see emergency vehicle lights or detect sirens of emergency responders. They can also move over in case other vehicles are pulled over at the side of the road. 

“Our trucks will not speed. They’re programmed to obey the speed limit at all times,” he said. 

A blue LED light is also on the sensor pod below the rearview mirrors. When the light is on, the truck is in “autonomous mode.” If the blue light is not illuminated, the truck’s system isn’t functioning as intended and the autonomy has been deactivated. 

Teeter said the self-driving trucks will travel through light rain or fog, but they will not operate in icy conditions or heavy rain. 

What’s the truck's process when interacting with emergency responders?

At the presentation, questions were raised about the company’s process for coordinating with first responders if the trucks encountered a crash or needed to pull over. 

Teeter explained that the self-driving system will pull over to the side of the highway if it detects an issue with the sensors. He also noted that if there were some kind of catastrophic failure and the truck breaks down, it would be similar to how any other vehicle breaks down in the middle of the road. 

The company also has dispatch operators who will know if the truck has encountered a traffic stop or emergency and can be contacted by first responders. Registration, insurance, and a list of goods shipments are in a document holder on the right side of the truck behind the cab. 

Teeter said they plan to have people positioned between the routes who could quickly reach the areas if the truck has a problem.  

If roadside service is delayed, first responders can remove the vehicle and clear the area, Teeter said.

Can the trucks be turned off manually?

The truck will disengage itself after a traffic stop or emergency, the company said. However, if access to the cab is needed, a person can engage the parking brake by pulling the red and yellow buttons out, place the gear to neutral and contact the Bot Auto 24-hour emergency line. 

The truck can also be turned off like a tractor-trailer: turn the ignition key to the “off” position. The company recommends calling its emergency line before shutting down the vehicle. 

Where is the route?

Bot Auto plans to have a route between West Houston and East San Antonio by taking Interstate 10. 

However, Teeter said that as the company matures and commercializes, they could consider I-45 to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

“Right now, I-10 is our priority,” he said.