Aurora Innovation and Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) announced the expansion of their autonomous freight network with a new 200-mile route between Dallas and Oklahoma City. 

The Oklahoma City program supports trips five days a week in supervised autonomy with the Volvo VNL Autonomous integrated with the Aurora Driver. By now operating directly to customer facilities, V.A.S. reduces the need for drayage moves and additional handoffs, the companies said in a joint statement.

“Expanding our operations into Oklahoma City and adding customer endpoints is an important step for scaling autonomous transport,” said Sasko Cuklev, head of On-Road Solutions at Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “Running end-to-end requires a higher level of operational precision and integration, and it further demonstrates how autonomous trucks can operate reliably in real logistics environments. Together with Aurora we are focused on expanding our network and accelerating the adoption of this new and exciting technology.”

“Leveraging our technology to open new routes quickly and efficiently is a core part of our strategy,” said Ossa Fisher, president of Aurora. “Aurora and Volvo are firing on all cylinders and our ability to execute together at scale is clear. As Volvo’s most advanced autonomy partner, we are proud to be the first to deploy the Volvo VNL Autonomous across multiple states.”

Aurora said it mapped the Dallas-to-Oklahoma City interstate route and began autonomous hauls in only a matter of weeks. During the recent ACT Expo, Volvo discussed updated plans to further cut emissions and improve efficiency, combining cleaner diesel engines, expanded electric capabilities, and growing autonomous operations.

Separately, Aurora and McLane Company, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, announced an agreement to begin driverless hauls in Texas with the Aurora Driver. McLane is one of the largest distributors in America, serving chain restaurants, convenience stores, and mass merchants.

“The business of moving food is essential to our economy and our way of life,” said Fisher. “We’re excited to enter the next chapter with McLane and transform the American food supply chain with autonomous trucks. Our collective momentum in logistics is palpable.”

The companies have been working together on a supervised autonomy pilot since 2023. During that time, the Aurora Driver logged over 280,000 autonomous miles in Texas and delivered 1,400 loads for McLane, with 100% on-time performance. 

During the pilot, Aurora met the demands of McLane’s schedule, expanding to two round-trips daily between Dallas and Houston, seven days a week. The Aurora Driver manages the “middle mile,” while McLane drivers handle local deliveries to customer locations.

“We’ve been thoroughly impressed with Aurora’s technology, exceptional safety performance and commitment to operational excellence,” said Susan Adzick, president of McLane Restaurant. “Autonomous technology helps us drive greater efficiency across the supply chain, while our drivers remain focused on the critical last mile — and continuing to serve as the face of our company to customers.”