Uber Freight, a San Francisco-based subsidiary of Uber, and Waymo Via, a Mountain View-based unit of Waymo, have reportedly announced their plan to set up a new strategic long-term partnership.
Under this alliance, Waymo Via aims to reserve billions of goods-only capacity miles for the Freight network. It has committed to having a relevant impact on the industry in the short and long term.
The partnership will enable both companies to connect their technologies, deploy autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network, and integrate the autonomous driving technology of Waymo with the marketplace and network technology of Uber Freight.
Uber Freight Head Lior Ron stated that the company’s efficient, extensive, and reliable digital network is important to realize autonomous trucks.
Ron added that Uber Freight is distinctly positioned to be the network of choice for autonomous trucks owing to the marketplace expertise and the scale to deploy autonomous trucks thereby benefitting the entire industry.
Credible sources have pointed out that the partnership announcement is a pinnacle of the long-term collaboration between the companies before making it official. It is worth noting that Waymo and Uber Freight have never partnered previously.
Logistics of the future will rely on the efficient deployment of human-driven trucks as well as autonomously driven trucks across an optimized and digital network. This will help streamline supply chains, eliminate deadhead, and help create safer roads.
The extensive partnership and milestone deal between Waymo and Uber Freight goes beyond trials to consolidate the network scale of Uber Freight and the autonomous driving technology of Waymo. This will eventually pave the way for the safe and thoughtful implementation of the Waymo Driver on American roads.
Furthermore, the depth and scale of this collaboration will enable Uber Freight and its 3PL subsidiary Transplace to seamlessly integrate autonomy into shipper networks and streamline their supply chain schemes for a hybrid network future.
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https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/uber_freight_and_waymo_via_herald_new_strategic_partnership