A (Virtual) Test Ride in a Waymo Long-Haul Truck
Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving car unit puts reporters behind the wheel — well, sort of — for the first time
Waymo’s long-haul truck
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Earlier today, around 10 a.m. in Phoenix, a baby blue Peterbilt truck pulled onto a westbound lane of Interstate 10 southeast of the city. At the wheel was an “autonomous specialist,” as Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving vehicle unit Waymo calls him, named Dave. A few seconds after merging onto the interstate, Dave released his grip on the wheel and let the truck begin driving itself. With the pandemic limiting in-person reporting, Waymo offered its first long-haul trucking demonstration for journalists virtually. Along with a couple dozen other reporters, I took the ride via live stream, on a one-minute delay.
“I'm definitely looking forward to the time when we can do this in person again,” said Pablo Abad, product manager for Waymo’s trucking division Via. Together with planning and behavior engineering lead Brad Neuman, Abad narrated as the robot driver hauled a trailer for about 15 miles along I-10 and Route 202.