Quick Overview

  • McLane Company and autonomous driving technology company Aurora Innovation announced on May 6 that they will expand theirdriverless truckingcollaboration in Texas.
  • The partnership began with a pilot project in 2023. According to the press release, Aurora's autonomous system, Aurora Driver, has accumulated over 280,000 miles and completed 1,400 freight deliveries for McLane.
  • The approximately 240-mile route from Dallas to Houston has been approved for autonomous trucking operations, and McLane plans to expand the route to other distribution centers in the Sun Belt region by the end of the year. Currently, the service primarily targets restaurant customers, with potential expansion to other business areas in the future.

In-Depth Analysis

Automated long-haul freight routes help McLane better addressdriver shortages and turnoverissues, thereby maintaining a consistent experience for the commercial customers it serves. Autonomous vehicles handle the "middle-mile" transportation between commercial destinations, while McLane's drivers handle local delivery on the customer side.

"Autonomous driving technology helps us improve overall supply chain efficiency, while our drivers remain focused on the critical last mile—continuing to serve as the company's face to customers," said Susan Adzick, President of McLane Restaurant.

McLane has more than 80 distribution centers in the U.S., butregulations for driverless trucks vary by state, which could limit the number of sites McLane can connect to its automated network.

These trucks use Aurora's Driver system, which is rated as aLevel 4 systemunder SAE International's automation levels. Level 4 means the vehicle can operate without a driver under restricted conditions. In contrast, Level 3 automation requires a driver to take over when the system requests it, while Level 5 can operate without a driver under any conditions.