Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR), a leading autonomous vehicle company, and Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions, announce a strategic collaboration to pilot on-site fleet maintenance. With Ryder technicians embedded at Aurora’s terminal in South Dallas, the goal is to support the current pilot operations and prepare for commercial operation at scale.
Autonomous technology has unprecedented potential to optimize vehicle utilization. However, higher utilization means autonomous trucks will require more frequent preventative maintenance and immediate access to corrective maintenance. These unique service needs make on-site maintenance at Aurora’s terminals essential as the company moves toward the commercialization of autonomous trucks.
Collaborating on this customized solution with Aurora advances our shared goal of facilitating the commercialization of autonomous technology. It’s a critical next step toward our vision to build the key service elements that will support the safe deployment of autonomous trucks across the U.S., says Karen Jones, executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and head of new product development at Ryder.
As part of the pilot, Ryder will embed skilled technicians to work alongside Aurora technicians at Aurora’s South Dallas terminal to:
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Maintain Aurora’s fleet of autonomous Class 8 tractors, including inspections, preventative maintenance, and repairs.
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Inspect and maintain trailers for pilot hauls and compliance with DOT standards.
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Collaborate with Aurora to minimize downtime and improve maintenance operations.
“Teaming up with Ryder’s sophisticated maintenance team will help to unlock the potential of autonomous trucks for around-the-clock operation. This collaboration will add value to our pilot customers and ultimately strengthen our commercial product, Aurora Horizon,”
-Kendra Phillips, vice president of service delivery at Aurora.
Ryder’s nearly 90 years of fleet maintenance experience will be instrumental as Aurora prepares to deliver Aurora Horizon. Aurora expects on-site maintenance in its terminals to be particularly significant as it increases pilot customer hauls to 100 per week, which it anticipates reaching at the end of 2023.
As we co-develop our playbook for on-site maintenance at our terminals, we look forward to collaborating with Ryder on other services like roadside assistance and terminal operations to develop autonomous service delivery at scale, adds Phillips.
About Aurora
Aurora (Nasdaq: AUR) is delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly to make transportation safer, increasingly accessible, and more reliable and efficient than ever before. The Aurora Driver is a self-driving system designed to operate multiple vehicle types, from freight-hauling semi-trucks to ride-hailing passenger vehicles, and underpins Aurora Horizon and Aurora Connect, its driver-as-a-service products for trucking and ride-hailing. Aurora is working with industry leaders across the transportation ecosystem, including Toyota, FedEx, Volvo Trucks, PACCAR, Uber, Uber Freight, U.S. Xpress, Werner, Covenant, Schneider, and Ryder. To learn more, visit www.aurora.tech.About Ryder
Ryder System, Inc.
(NYSE: R) is a leading logistics and transportation company. It provides supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions, including full service leasing, rental, and maintenance, used vehicle sales, professional drivers, transportation services, freight brokerage, warehousing and distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, and last mile delivery services, to some world’s most-recognized brands. Ryder provides services throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In addition, Ryder manages nearly 239,000 commercial vehicles and operates more than 330 warehouses, encompassing more than 80 million square feet. Ryder is regularly recognized for its industry-leading practices in third-party logistics, technology-driven innovations, commercial vehicle maintenance, environmentally friendly solutions, corporate social responsibility, world-class safety and security programs, military veteran recruitment initiatives, and the hiring of a diverse workforce. www.ryder.com