Waymo and Uber have signed a long-term, strategic partnership to collaborate on long-haul autonomous trucking. The idea is to help customers deploy autonomous trucks more efficiently. Those who buy trucks equipped with the Waymo Driver system will be able to tap into Uber Freight's marketplace technology, meaning they'll be able to deploy vehicles on the latter's network for deliveries. Uber Freight is essentially a version of the regular Uber app designed for shippers, which helps them find truck drivers for on-demand haulage. Waymo Via -- the company's trucking division -- plans to earmark billions of miles of goods-only driverless delivery capacity for the Uber Freight network.

Autonomous vehicles (AV) play an increasingly important role in food and parcel deliveries. In early December, Silicon Valley-based startup Nuro announced that it was launching the first commercial autonomous delivery in California. Partnering with 7-Eleven, the company provides the service for residents of Mountain View, where the business is located. According to a blog post from Nuro's co-founder Zhu Jiajun, customers can access the autonomous delivery through 7-Eleven's 7NOW delivery app. Nuro currently offers the service with its Prius vehicles in fully autonomous mode, expecting to replace them with its R2 autonomous cars later.

Uber's self-driving trucks unit is closing up shop not long after it seemed the division was just getting underway. Instead, Uber will be refocusing its efforts on developing self-driving cars, according to TechCrunch. The move comes as Uber recently resumed testing its fleet of autonomous vehicles following a fatal crash in Arizona earlier this year. Uber's self-driving trucks unit is closing up shop not long after it seemed the division was just getting underway. Uber Freight, a version of its app that helps truckers book cargo hauls, won't be affected as a result of the announcement.

Uber's autonomous trucks are finally hitting the road. The ride-hailing startup said on Tuesday that its self-driving big rigs have been ferrying cargo on highways in Arizona over the past few months. For each trip, human drivers work in tandem with the autonomous trucks. Humans pick up cargo from Uber Freight customers and drive it in trailers to transfer hubs. For each trip, human drivers work in tandem with the autonomous trucks.

Uber could soon eliminate the need for a smartphone as the only gateway into its service, with a whole new partnership. Uber has been using its self-driving trucks to transport goods in Arizona. SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber announced Tuesday that it has been sending self-driving trucks on delivery runs across Arizona since November, the first step in what could be a freight transportation revolution that could leave long-haul truckers in the cold. After testing its technology earlier in 2017, Uber began contracting with trucking companies to use its own autonomous Volvo big rigs to take over loads as they traverse the state. Uber did not disclose what items it is transporting for which companies.

The most impressive thing about the Uber trip from the Midwest to Southern California wasn't that the truck drove itself the 344 miles across Arizona. It was what happened when two men named Larry and Mark met at the western edge of the Copper State. Larry, the trained safety driver, had spent the autonomous voyage watching over his robot. Mark was freshly arrived from Los Angeles in a conventional truck. Each unhitched their trailer and hooked up to the other's.

In our previous article, in addition to defining cognitive A.I. (CAI), we asserted that it is crucial for businesses to start their planning and embracing of A.I. now. This article builds on that theme by highlighting the significant disruptions to industry that are on the horizon and proves that time is of the essence. In other words, if you are not scared by the end of this article, then we have not done our jobs (if we do scare you, please share or comment below). To set the proper context, we created this fancy consulting slide to contextualize the evolution of A.I. for businesses. The Y axis shows the continuum of CAI capability going from serving, augmenting, and then to replacing humans.

Last year, Uber's interest in the shipping and trucking industry started to take shape with the (now controversial) purchase of Otto. A few months later, reports started swirling that Uber would be creating a platform to connect drivers with cargo in the same way it currently connects drivers with passengers. That service, simply called Uber Freight, officially launched this week. Like Uber did for the cab industry, Uber Freight is meant to upend and streamline the currently arduous process that goes into packing a truck for shipment. Currently truck drivers rely on a broker or other service to negotiate rates and book cargo.

Uber Freight is a new app that connects professional truckers with those looking to move goods. SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber now is getting into the trucking game. The embattled ride-hailing company announced Thursday that it was launching Uber Freight, an app that connects professional truck drivers with shippers looking to transport big loads over long distances. "We've been in stealth since late last year, moving loads in Texas and a few other places," says Eric Berdinis, senior product manager for Uber Freight. "Uber pioneered the notion of'press a button, get a car,' and now we want to create'press a button, get a load.'"

In its quest to dominate transportation, Uber dreams of the day when everyone gets around in flying cars and self-driving taxis. But its plan doesn't hinge entirely on a robo-revolution. Today, the delinquent decacorn of Silicon Valley announced Uber Freight, a bid to bring the ride hailing model to trucking. The service, which quietly launched in Texas late last year, connects truckers with stuff that needs trucking, much like the app connects drivers with people who need driving. And it gives the company a way into an industry that touches 70 percent of American goods. "We're going for that magical Uber experience," says Curtis Chambers, one of the company's highest-ranking engineers.