By Hyunjoo Jin

SAN FRANCISCO – Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:) Inc’s self-driving tech unit Waymo, and truck fleet operator C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc announced Wednesday that they will team up with Texas safety drivers to put automated trucks through their paces in Texas over the next few months.

C.H. Robinson to be among the earlier users of Waymo’s automated trucking technology when it is ultlimately deployed, said Chris O’Brien, Chief Commercial Officer of C.H. Robinson.

O’Brien claimed that the development of long-haul autonomous trucks would be a relief for fleets struggling with driver shortages and capacity restrictions. This was even before the COVID-19 epidemic.

There are many self-driving businesses that want to partner with truck drivers, operators, and customers. This will accelerate the pace of getting automated trucks onto the roads.

Robotaxis should be simpler to operate long-haul trucks than robotaxis, as major highways present a less difficult environment than busy city streets. Waymo is cautious about how quickly they can increase their speed.

Charlie Jatt (head of Waymo Via’s commercialization of trucking), said, “We also have an abundance of humility that our technology solve is only one piece of the very complicated puzzle.”

He said, “It will take a gradual evolution in order to scale it to the full benefit.”

Waymo is a developer of autonomous driving technology. However, it has not been able to scale the technology up. Waymo initially was focused on automated taxis, but it created Waymo Via in 2017 to develop technology for autonomous trucking and delivery. Daimler (OTC) has a truck unit. JB Hunt is a long-haul transporter. UPS also has a package carrier.

Waymo plans to integrate its self driving software and sensors into Daimler trucks. Waymo is currently testing its autonomous trucking technology with UPS in Texas and JB Hunt.