Houston, Texas CNBC Ride along inside Aurora's self-driving semitruck

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Promoted product

Aurora

Step inside the world of self-driving freight, powered by the Aurora Driver. Delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

2 videos

Why it worked

The video effectively showcases a cutting-edge technology in action, providing a tangible demonstration of autonomous trucking's capabilities and future potential. By featuring the CEO and highlighting the economic benefits, it appeals to both technological interest and business-minded viewers.

Summary

CNBC takes a ride-along in an Aurora Innovation self-driving semitruck, highlighting its potential to revolutionize freight transport by increasing efficiency and reducing costs. The company aims for profitability by 2028 through the expansion of its autonomous trucking fleet.

Structure

1Introduction to Aurora's self-driving semitruck in Houston
2Explanation of the benefits of autonomous trucking (speed, efficiency)
3Demonstration of the truck operating without a human driver
4

Original caption

Aurora Innovation took CNBC's Phil Lebeau on a three-hour ride in an autonomous semitruck in Texas. Chris Urmson, #Aurora founder and CEO, says the company is targeting positive free cash flow by 2028, driven by a substantial increase in the number autonomous trucks on the road. Find the full report at the #linkinbio or the link on screen. #CNBC

More from @cnbc

Product placement

CNBC (appears, does not affect video content) Aurora (acts, its self-driving semitruck is the subject of the video; removing it would change the video) Aurora Innovation (acts, its self-driving semitruck is the subject of the video; removing it would change the video) XPO (appears, its trailer is part of the payload, but it does not act and removing it would not change the video)

Call to action

Find the full report at the #linkinbio or the link on screen.

On-screen text

Houston, Texas CNBC Ride along inside Aurora's self-driving semitruck 6:45 a.m. and the start of a freight shipment run for this truck owned by Aurora Innovation. But unlike every other truck on I-45 between Houston and Dallas, this one does not have a human driving it. And it means Chris Urmson Co-Founder and CEO, Aurora goods more quickly. So instead of having to drive 11 hours and then take, you know, 11 hours off, we can just keep moving the goods the whole time. For more than three hours, I rode shotgun in the passenger seat while Aurora founder and CEO Chris Urmson rode in the cab's back seat and no one was behind the wheel. This is one of the first commercial freight runs for a completely autonomous Aurora truck. Shipments between Houston and Dallas is one of ten routes where Aurora's driverless trucks are operating. Urmson believes this is the future of trucking, no drivers and far lower costs. And we think it's going to make their business multiple times more profitable. Wall Street sees huge potential for autonomous trucking, especially with approximately 3.5 million class A semitrucks registered in the U.S. After three hours, we pulled into the distribution center with our payload. The trip? Uneventful. Exactly what Urmson is looking for as Aurora Innovation starts to expand its fleet of 20 autonomous trucks and potentially drive towards positive free cash flow in 2028.

Transcript

6:45 a.m. and the start of a freight shipment run for this truck owned by Aurora Innovation. But unlike every other truck on I-45 between Houston and Dallas, this one does not have a human driving it. And it means Chris Urmson Co-Founder and CEO, Aurora goods more quickly. So instead of having to drive 11 hours and then take, you know, 11 hours off, we can just keep moving the goods the whole time. For more than three hours, I rode shotgun in the passenger seat while Aurora founder and CEO Chris Urmson rode in the cab's back seat and no one was behind the wheel. This is one of the first commercial freight runs for a completely autonomous Aurora truck. Shipments between Houston and Dallas is one of ten routes where Aurora's driverless trucks are operating. Urmson believes this is the future of trucking, no drivers and far lower costs. And we think it's going to make their business multiple times more profitable. Wall Street sees huge potential for autonomous trucking, especially with approximately 3.5 million class A semitrucks registered in the U.S. After three hours, we pulled into the distribution center with our payload. The trip? Uneventful. Exactly what Urmson is looking for as Aurora Innovation starts to expand its fleet of 20 autonomous trucks and potentially drive towards positive free cash flow in 2028.