Volvo has announced a partnership with autonomous vehicle developer Aurora to build on-highway autonomous trucks for the North American market.

The trucks will first be used for hub-to-hub routes.

The agreement, between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora, will stretch over several years, Volvo announced. It will integrate the Aurora Driver system into Volvo’s on-highway trucks for development of “transport as a service” solutions.

“Creating a viable autonomous on-highway offering requires close partnerships with both customers and tech partners to develop the needed capabilities,” says Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “This exciting partnership brings our goal of transport as a service an important step closer and will accelerate our commercial offer for hub-to-hub applications in North America. Aurora is already a leading force in autonomous systems, and its integrated self-driving stack, software, hardware and data services platform combine to offer a clear path towards efficient and safe on-highway solutions in the medium term.”

“Since the first project together in 2018, Aurora has developed a deep respect for Volvo, its engineering process, and its commitment to safety. With the groundwork now laid through the establishment of Volvo Autonomous Solutions and the creation of Aurora’s industry-leading sensor suite, we’re excited to join forces to develop self-driving solutions with Volvo’s impressive network of customers,” added Sterling Anderson, co-founder and chief product officer at Aurora.