Riding in a Self-Driving 18-Wheeler in the Greater Houston

A Houston based autonomous trucking company Bot Auto recently showcased its self-driving 18-wheeler during a public demonstration around the Houston area. The truck handled most of the drive on its own but veteran driver John Nelson was in the cab as safety monitor. It successfully managed challenging maneuvers like unprotected turns, stop signs, traffic lights, and highway merges with little human involvement. Bot Auto has been running similar test since fall 2024 and is preparing to launch a fully driverless freight router along I-10, connecting West Houston to East San Antonio.

The features the truck holds are a lidar, radar, and high definition cameras that provide a 360-degree view, backed by systems for braking, steering, power and control. The cabin is designed to feel like a workspace rather than the typical truck, with four seats and monitors displaying real-time sensor data.

While there are occasional jolts, developers focus on safety over comfort. The goal is not to replace drivers but to complement them, letting self driving systems take over long highway stretches while human drivers remain essential for first and last mile operations.

Plan for Self Driving Trucks

First Major Autonomous Truck Efforts

• 2014: Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) unveiled the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025, the first self-driving semi concept, in Germany.
• 2015: Daimler’s Freightliner Inspiration Truck became the first licensed autonomous truck to operate on U.S. public roads (Nevada).
• 2016: Otto (a startup later acquired by Uber) completed the first autonomous truck delivery — 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer in Colorado, with a driver on board for safety.

Commercial Testing & Pilots

• 2017–2019: Companies like Embark, TuSimple, and Waymo began testing self-driving trucks on highways in the U.S., often with safety drivers.
• 2020–2022:
  • TuSimple and others expanded cross-state testing (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico).
  • In December 2021, TuSimple reported the first fully autonomous truck run on public roads without a human in the cab, driving 80 miles in Arizona.
  • Aurora, Kodiak, and Gatik also scaled up pilot programs with major shippers.

Toward Public Market & Adoption

• Current Phase (2023–2025): We’re in pre-commercialization. Trucks are not yet sold directly to the public as “driverless” — instead, logistics firms partner with autonomous trucking companies for pilot routes.
  • TuSimple, Aurora, Kodiak, and Waymo Via are working with carriers like UPS, FedEx, and large retailers.
  • Fully driverless routes (no humans onboard) are expected to become commercially operational in the U.S. between 2024–2027, starting with highway corridors in Texas and the Southwest.