Volvo Autonomous Solutions and DSV have commenced commercial autonomous freight operations in Texas, marking the first commercial truckload hauled using the Volvo VNL Autonomous vehicle integrated with the Aurora Driver autonomous technology.
The operations run between Aurora’s terminals in Dallas and Houston, connecting into DSV’s existing logistics flows on a depot-to-depot basis.
The Volvo VNL Autonomous is purpose-built for long-haul autonomous driving and forms the core of Volvo’s Autona/freight solution, an end-to-end autonomous transport system combining the vehicle with self-driving technology from Aurora and Waabi alongside the operational management systems required to run autonomous freight at scale.
During the initial phase, a safety driver will be present in the vehicle in line with current operational requirements, with the collaboration designed to build the operational experience needed to support route expansion over time.
The partnership reflects a broader ambition to integrate autonomous transport into large-scale, complex logistics networks.
DSV’s involvement demonstrates how autonomous solutions can be deployed within an existing commercial freight operation to improve asset utilisation, support round-the-clock operations and contribute to addressing the growing driver shortage across the industry.
Helmut Schweighofer, CEO of DSV Road, described the Texas operation as a production-level depot-to-depot setup offering clear opportunities across safety, driver comfort and asset efficiency.
Sasko Cuklev, Head of On-Road Solutions at Volvo Autonomous Solutions, highlighted the Dallas-Houston corridor as a scalable foundation for expanding to additional lanes over time.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions has logged more than one million miles in regional and local freight operations since 2023, providing operational experience that underpins the reliability of the scaling programme with DSV.
