Aurora and McLane Launch Fully Driverless Food Hauls on Texas Routes

Key Details Aurora Innovation and McLane Company have transitioned from pilot operations to fully autonomous commercial hauls on Texas highways between Dallas and Houston. The move follows a three-year supervised pilot that logged over 280,000 autonomous miles, delivered 1,400 loads, and maintained 100 percent on-time performance. Why It Matters As a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary serving convenience stores and chain restaurants, McLane operates one of America's largest private fleets. This partnership positions autonomous technology to reshape how perishable food reaches the nation's food supply chain and restaurant networks. How It Works The hybrid model divides responsibilities between machine and human. Aurora's self-driving system handles the long-haul middle mile between distribution centers, operating 24/7 without fatigue constraints. McLane's drivers manage the critical last mile, handling local deliveries directly to customer locations and maintaining essential customer relationships. What's Next Aurora plans to expand driverless operations to new routes connecting McLane distribution centers across the U.S. Sun Belt by the end of 2026. The consistent, predictable middle-mile routes address driver shortages while keeping freight flowing reliably without disrupting customer-facing service operations.