In a groundbreaking development for the transportation industry, autonomous trucking company Aurora has launched its first commercial driverless trucking service, operating regular long-haul routes between Dallas and Houston.

Announced on Thursday, this marks a significant milestone in the adoption of self-driving technology, with Aurora’s trucks now operating without human safety drivers for the first time.

Aurora’s commercial service, which began under contracts with Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, specializes in delivering time- and temperature-sensitive freight.

Both companies previously collaborated with Aurora during test runs, which included safety drivers to oversee the company’s self-driving technology, known as the “Aurora Driver.”

With the transition to fully autonomous operations, Aurora is now the first company to deploy a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads successfully.

“We founded Aurora to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly,” said Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora, in a statement.

“Now, we are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads.”

Aurora’s trucks are equipped with advanced computers and sensors capable of detecting obstacles at a distance equivalent to over four football fields.

Over the past four years, the company’s technology has completed more than 10,000 customer loads during practice hauls. Since the commercial launch, Aurora’s self-driving trucks have already logged over 1,200 miles without human intervention.

The company is starting with a single autonomous truck but plans to expand its fleet by the end of 2025.

Self-driving technology has been a focal point of innovation for over a decade, with major automakers like Tesla and General Motors investing billions in autonomous systems.

States like Texas and California have become testing grounds for companies developing autonomous trucking solutions.

California-based Gatik, for example, focuses on short-haul deliveries for retailers like Walmart, while Kodiak Robotics operates daily freight deliveries across the South, though still with safety drivers.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, briefly explored autonomous trucking but shifted its focus to self-driving ride-hailing services in 2023.

Aurora’s driverless routes represent a leap forward in the industry, but the technology is not without controversy. Safety concerns and the potential for job displacement have sparked debates among consumers, transportation officials, and labor unions.

Aurora has sought to address safety concerns by releasing a comprehensive safety report this year, detailing the functionality and reliability of its technology.

However, skepticism persists. Earlier this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a petition from Aurora and Waymo to replace traditional warning devices—used when a truck breaks down—with cab-mounted beacons.

The Transport Workers Union argued that the proposed change could compromise safety, highlighting ongoing tensions between innovation and regulation.

Unions representing truck drivers have also voiced opposition to driverless technology, citing the risk of widespread job losses and questioning the safety of autonomous systems on public roads. These concerns underscore the challenges facing the industry as it navigates the transition to automation.