Elain Brown Tech 06.08.2022 07:Jun AM EDT

Uber, Waymo Partner on Self-Driving Long-Distance Trucking

Uber and Waymo are now collaborating to enable self-driving for 18-wheelers.

Uber and Waymo have long been head-to-head market competitors. For years, both companies have filed legal complaints against one another, resulting in a quiet public legal battle for years.

Uber and Waymo's Partnership

Waymo Via and Uber Freight have announced a long-term strategic collaboration that will connect their respective technologies and allow for the widespread deployment of autonomous trucking on the Uber Freight network.

According to Uber, the Head of Uber Freight, Lior Ron, stated, "We are uniquely positioned to be the preferred network for autonomous trucks, with the scale and the marketplace expertise to deploy autonomous trucks in a way that benefits the entire industry."

Ron added that this partnership is a leap forward and he is thrilled to work with Waymo Via to pioneer a hybrid freight network that empowers carriers and ushers in a new era of logistics.

Gizmodo reported that this partnership brings together the power of Waymo's autonomous driving technology with the scale of Uber Freight's network and leading marketplace technology, unlocking a road map for the thoughtful and safe implementation of autonomous trucks on roads across the US.

The agreement is a defining moment because it includes a comprehensive product integration and a long-term collaboration roadmap. The roadmap calls for the construction of the tools and infrastructure necessary for the effective implementation of autonomous trucks for Uber Freight's shipper and carrier customers.

Both businesses have a vision of a future in which self-driving trucks will handle the long-haul portion of driving, thereby reducing some of the pressure brought on by the ever-increasing demand for freight.

Waymo's Trucks

As reported by Engadget, those who purchase trucks that are configured with the Waymo Driver system will have the ability to tap into the technology offered by Uber Freight. This means that they will be able to deploy cars on the network used by the latter company to make deliveries.

Shippers can use the Uber Freight app, which is simply a specialized version of the standard Uber app, to locate available truck drivers for on-demand haulage of their goods. The implementation will initially be tested by the firms using Waymo Via's test fleet as the platform.

The schedule for a more widespread rollout is currently unclear. According to the businesses, this can be accomplished by delegating the responsibility of driving over vast distances to autonomous systems.

Uber and Waymo's Legal Battles

Waymo and Uber have not always had the best of relations. Alphabet, the parent company of Waymo, filed a lawsuit against Uber in 2017 for the alleged theft of trade secrets by Uber employees who had left the company. In 2016, Uber completed the acquisition of a self-driving truck business known as Otto. Otto was formed by a number of individuals who had previously worked for Alphabet, including engineer Anthony Levandowski.

The allegation made by Alphabet A few weeks before he left the business, Levandowski downloaded proprietary design files for Waymo's numerous hardware systems. After being found guilty and sentenced to 18 months in jail in 2020, Levandowski was granted a pardon by then-President Donald Trump in January of the following year.

In 2018, Uber and Waymo reached a settlement regarding the lawsuit. It was stated that Uber was open to the notion of partnering with Waymo if the two businesses had addressed their disputes and made amends with one another.