McLane adopts Aurora driverless trucking for middle-mile freight efficiency
Key takeaways
- McLane transitions to driverless middle-mile trucking with Aurora after a successful Texas pilot program.
- The Aurora system completed 280,000 autonomous miles and 1,400 loads with 100% on-time performance.
- The hybrid model uses autonomous long-haul freight while McLane drivers handle local and last-mile delivery work.
Aurora Innovation is beginning driverless commercial trucking operations with McLane Company on select Texas routes using the Aurora Driver system. The partnership enables McLane to move temperature-sensitive cargo more efficiently with autonomous trucks.
The transition follows a supervised autonomy pilot that began in 2023. Since then, the system has logged more than 280,000 autonomous miles in Texas and completed 1,400 loads for McLane with 100% on-time performance.
Aurora will initially operate driverless hauls between Dallas and Houston, with plans to expand to additional McLane distribution center routes across the U.S. Sun Belt by the end of the year. The model combines autonomous long-haul freight with McLane drivers handling last-mile and local delivery work.
“We’ve been thoroughly impressed with Aurora’s technology, exceptional safety performance, and commitment to operational excellence,” Susan Adzick, president of McLane Restaurant, stated. “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.”
