GoKawiilThe U.S. plans to keep on truckin’—just without humans behind the wheel. Multiple companies say they’ll roll out fully driverless big rigs on American highways in 2027. Aurora, Kodiak, and Waabi are racing to eliminate drivers—a cost that represents up to 40% of per-mile trucking expenses, according to The New York Times.
Aurora plans to grow from a handful of autonomous trucks to more than 200 by year’s end, then thousands by 2027. The company recently launched a 1,000-mile route between Fort Worth and Phoenix that surpasses what human drivers can do without stopping due to work-hour limitations. Kodiak is making interstate runs with 15 trucks for customers including J.B. Hunt and Werner Enterprises from a Texas hub.
The business case is massive: The U.S. freight-truck industry generates more than $900 billion annually. Most deployments will happen first in Texas because of the Lone Star State’s favorable routes, weather, and regulatory environment.