Uber Freight has formed a strategic partnership with Waabi, a Canadian-headquartered business that combines artificial intelligence and closed-loop simulators to accelerate the rollout of autonomous trucks.
The 10-year deal pairs the Waabi Driver — a software stack, sensors and hardware — with Uber Freight’s logistics platform, marketplace, and early experience with highly autonomous vehicles.
Combined, the offerings will help carriers deploy and manage autonomous assets, the companies say, adding they intend to deploy “billions of miles of Waabi Driver capacity” over the next decade.
Trucks using the Waabi Driver delivered their first commercial loads on the Uber Freight Network this week and will now run regularly between Dallas and Houston. Commercial operations are to expand to other lanes in Texas and beyond as the partnership advances.
(Screenshot: Waabi promotional video)
In the future, the goal is to give carriers the option of instantly deploying Waabi Driver-enabled trucks on the Uber Freight network, following optimized routes, and tapping into an ecosystem of transfer hubs, roadside assistance, and national maintenance providers.
“Uber Freight has the scaled freight network and marketplace expertise needed to efficiently and safely deploy our AI-powered autonomous driving technology at scale,” Waabi CEO and founder Raquel Urtasun said in a press release.
“The unique solution we are building together will empower carriers to dynamically and effectively deploy the Waabi Driver, while also unlocking critical capacity for shippers and driving value throughout the supply chain. Together with Uber Freight, we are accelerating the future of autonomous trucking and providing a seamless path to autonomy for everyone.”
“This exciting partnership allows us to bring Waabi’s revolutionary generative AI innovation to the forefront of our vast freight network, providing our shippers and carriers nationwide with the tools needed to embrace autonomous technology and transform their operations safely and efficiently,” said Lior Ron, founder and CEO of Uber Freight.
Uber Freight says it has US$18 billion under management.
