Autonomous trucking operations are scaling rapidly across the United States, with multiple operators reporting significant milestones in paid driverless freight hauls. Volvo's VNL Autonomous, paired with the Aurora Driver system, has begun hauling commercial freight for DHL and Uber Freight on Texas lanes, marking a commercial production phase for fully driverless Class 8 operations on major US corridors.
Kodiak Robotics has doubled the size of its driverless Class 8 truck fleet and logged more than 5,200 hours of paid driverless operation, demonstrating the technology's readiness for scaled deployment. Both programs represent the shift from pilot testing to revenue-generating autonomous freight service.
Broader fleet conditions are also improving. Spot and contract rates continue to climb as carrier capacity stays constrained, with long-term contract rates up approximately 8% since last fall. Tender rejection rates remain elevated, signaling strong pricing pressure through mid-year as shippers increasingly lean on secondary capacity.
Class 8 truck demand has strengthened meaningfully, driven by better freight conditions, replacement cycles, and approaching regulatory changes tied to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement review process ahead of its July 1 deadline. Motor carriers are working through implications for cross-border freight flows as that deadline approaches.
Source: FreightWaves -- https://www.freightwaves.com/news/category/news/trucking