Aurora Innovation and Hirschbach Motor Lines say they plan to significantly expand their autonomous trucking partnership, with Hirschbach expected to deploy 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks across its network.

The companies announced on April 30 that they have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a path toward the refrigerated carrier purchasing 500 autonomous trucks beginning in 2027. Final commercial terms are expected to be completed later this year.

Aurora said the agreement could ultimately support 500 million driverless miles and generate “hundreds of millions of dollars” in revenue through its Driver-as-a-Service (DaaS) business model.

“The Aurora Driver will provide consistent 24/7 service to our customers, making it an important growth lever for our business,” said Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach Motor Lines. “But autonomy isn’t just a business move — it’s a quality-of-life investment for our people. The Aurora Driver will handle the lengthier, less desirable routes, providing our drivers with greater flexibility. It’s a win-win.”

Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson said early deployments have encouraged fleets to accelerate adoption plans.

“When early adopters see the benefits the Aurora Driver delivers for their business and their drivers, they don’t just stay the course — they scale quickly,” Urmson said. “The industry is primed for this product, and our momentum toward meaningful commercial revenue is hitting a new gear.”

Under Aurora’s DaaS model, fleets own and operate the trucks while subscribing to Aurora’s autonomous driving platform. Aurora says the structure allows carriers to maintain control over assets and maximize total cost of ownership savings while providing the company with recurring revenue.

The trucks are expected to operate primarily on high-volume Sun Belt freight lanes. Aurora recently expanded driverless operations to Laredo, Texas, supporting one of Hirschbach’s major customers.

Hirschbach is already using Aurora’s autonomous system on a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) route between Fort Worth and Phoenix. Aurora says its self-driving system has now logged more than 800,000 miles (1.28 million km) and hauled more than 2,000 loads for the carrier.

Hirschbach said it plans to build a hybrid operating model in which autonomous trucks manage long-haul routes while human drivers focus on shorter regional hauls that allow them to return home daily.

“We’re proud to deploy a hybrid network with our drivers and autonomous trucks as we move toward a safer, more efficient future for refrigerated freight,” Stocking said.