Trucking news

Driverless truck company postpones route between Dallas and Houston

Driverless semis traveling from Dallas to Houston were expected to launch this year.

Photo courtesy of Aurora

Autonomous truck company Aurora Innovation says it won't start hauling freight without humans on board until April of 2025, a delay from previous statements that commercial service would begin by the end of 2024.

The Pittsburgh company said the April launch of driverless semis traveling from Dallas to Houston — originally announced last year — will be “modestly later” than the company had intended. The company also previously announced a partnership with Uber.

The company told investors on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it has made progress toward ensuring its trucks will operate safely.

Remaining obstacles are “primarily in the areas of some elements of surface street driving and some elements of construction that we see on the freeway,” CEO Chris Urmson said. “We want to have extremely high confidence in the system as we as we go forward.”

The company will start with about 10 autonomous tractor-trailers and move to “tens” of trucks by the end of next year, Urmson said.

“This shift to our timeline will have a negligible financial impact and does not affect our scaling efforts on our path to self-funding," Urmson said.

Aurora also intends to haul freight without human drivers from Fort Worth to Phoenix later in 2025, Urmson said.

Aurora in August added nearly $500 million to its balance sheet with a capital raise in August, which the company expects to fund the initial phases of its strategy to scale up driverless trucking.

Flying high

DFW Airport to add 20 new concessions including gourmet tacos and pizza

Photo courtesy of Velvet Taco

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Arriving three hours early for flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport gets more palatable with nearly two dozen new restaurants and shops on their way. They include favorite local brands, concessionaires making their airport debut, and two special somethings for fast-food chicken fans.

According to a release, 20 new concessions have been approved by the DFW Airport Board of Directors – "part of dozens of new concessions coming online over the next few years as the airport adds gates and builds the new Terminal F," they say.

The lineup includes, notably, the first 24-hour Chick-fil-A (operating Monday through Saturday) inside a major U.S. airport (Terminal A Pier), along with DFW’s first 24/7 Raising Cane’s location (Terminal B-19).

For consumers of green things, the first Salad and Go airport location with healthy salads, bowls and sandwiches is coming (Terminal A Pier).

And an innovative Whataburger will feature self-order kiosks (Terminal B-40).

Also on the docket are beloved DFW flavors and brands such as:

Dallas and Fort Worth-based Velvet Taco for innovative tacos (Terminal C Pier)
Dallas and Fort Worth-based Olivella’s Pizzeria (Terminal A-14)
Dallas and Fort Worth-based Mesero for Mexican American fusion food (first in a U.S. airport) (Terminal A Pier)
Dallas and Fort Worth-based La La Land Kind Café (Terminal B-43)
Fort Worth-based Brewed Coffee for pastries, coffee and tacos (Terminal E-19)
Lake Austin-based Mozart’s Bakehouse for scratch-made pastries and shakes (Terminal A Pier)
Lone Chimney Mercantile for memorable gifts made by local artists (Terminal D-33)

Other, non-local brands debuting in the terminals include:

The Peach Cobbler Factory (Terminal C Pier)
Ciao & Go (Terminal A Pier)
Nekter Juice Bar (first in a U.S. airport) (Terminal B-10)
Flyer’s Market (Terminal E-38)
Piada Italian Street Food (first in a U.S. airport) (Terminal B-14)
Bluebonnet Exchange (Terminal C Pier)
Sundance Travel Essentials (Terminal E)

Also, for travelers seeking to relax or be productive, Minute Suites will add new locations at Terminal A-38 and Terminal D-23, the release says.

“These new partners represent the next chapter in DFW’s journey to transform the customer experience,” said Ken Buchanan, DFW’s Executive Vice President for Revenue Management and Customer Experience, in a statement. “By bringing in bold concepts, including several airport firsts and beloved local brands, we’re laying the foundation for more dynamic terminals and a more enjoyable travel experience.”