Uber\’s self-driving trucks are already on US roads, but so far they are only being used in Arizona for long-distance transportation. This revolutionary type of vehicle began operating in November 2017. In the event of an emergency, a driver with the appropriate license will be in the driver\’s seat of each vehicle to control its operation. With this feat, Uber has once again moved closer to its desired goal of replacing the humans behind the wheel of its trucks with appropriate technology.
In May 2017, the Uber Freight mobile app was launched, allowing users to book trucks for transporting various goods and mail. However, Uber itself, which manages the self-driving trucks through its subsidiary Advanced Technologies Group, has yet to provide specific information on the number of trips it has made to date, the width of its fleet, or the types of goods it transports.
In fact, the entire transportation process goes like this: an Uber truck brings a semitrailer to a transshipment point, where it is picked up by a self-driving truck and set off on a long trip. Meanwhile, the company\’s other drivers take the wheel of a regular truck designed for shorter distances.
A truck loaded with beer
The company began testing so-called autonomous trucks in 2016, with the first delivery taking place in Colorado in October of that year. Equipped with cameras, radar, and sensors to scan the road, the truck and trailer left Fort Collins and completed its journey in Colorado Springs two hours later. It was the first autonomous truck to make such a trip in the trucking industry.