Volvo Autonomous Solutions has started running commercial freight on the Dallas-Houston corridor for AV/UC systems integrator AVI-SPL, using its Volvo VNL Autonomous truck powered by the Aurora Driver. A safety driver rides in every cab, so this is supervised autonomy, not the empty-cab service the “driverless” label implies.
How it works: The trucks move real commercial loads every day with a human onboard. Volvo VAS described the operation as “moving freight there daily together with our customers in a real commercial setup autonomously, still with a safety driver,” reported FreightWaves.
Driver-out operations, where the cab runs without a driver, is targeted for the first quarter of 2027 once Volvo closes its safety case. The cargo includes audio-visual electronics, both new products and end-of-life equipment that AVI-SPL strips for precious metals through its recycling program. Neither company disclosed fleet size, load counts or trip frequency.
Why it matters for capacity: A supervised L4 truck still requires a paid driver, so it does not yet reduce labor costs or remove the hours-of-service ceiling that shapes lane’s economics. The planned driver-out milestone in Q1 2027 is when the cost curve starts to change.
Volvo VAS head of on-road solutions Sasko Cuklev said the setup helps “reduce transit times, improve service, and meet the demands of time-sensitive, high-value freight.”
Across the lane: Dallas-Houston is one of the most active autonomous freight corridors in the country, and the deployments fall into two groups.
Driver-out, Aurora’s own hauls: Uber Freight and Hirschbach launched in 2025. McLane later moved to driver-out operations after logging more than 280,000 autonomous miles and around 1,400 loads in its pilot
Supervised, Volvo VAS customers: DSV started earlier this year, and AVI-SPL now joins
PepsiCo and Gatik separately deployed 41 driver-out L4 box trucks into Arizona, Texas and Arkansas. Volvo VAS is targeting more than 300 autonomous trucks on US highways 2027-end. Until its safety case closes, every run in Texas still carries a driver.
