In Texas, driverless trucks are set to take over roads

A self-driving truck manufactured by Waymo

A self-driving truck produced by Aurora is seen on a road in Texas

A giant 18-wheel transport truck is barreling down a multi-lane Texas highway, and there is no one behind the wheel.

The futuristic idea may seem surreal, but it is being tested in this vast southern US state, which has become the epicenter of a rapidly developing self-driving vehicle industry.

Self-driving lorries are operated using radars, laser scanners, cameras and GPS antennas that communicate with piloting software.

Waymo is building a logistics center in Dallas that will accommodate hundreds of autonomous semi-trailers. 

In a sign of how competitive the autonomous trucking industry is, none of the three companies agreed to show AFP one of its vehicles.

"I think that everybody who is in the autonomous trucking business is in Texas," says Srikanth Saripalli, director at the Center for Autonomous Vehicles and Sensor Systems at Texas A&M University. "Even if they don't advertise it."

Houston and Dallas are major freight hubs, and Texas's sprawling distances are ideal for long-haul transport.

In 2018, Texas passed a law that essentially gave autonomous cars the same status as conventional vehicles.

With the United States so vast and trucking such a vital part of its economy, companies see self-driving as a way to cut costs and reduce risk, since unlike with human drivers autonomous vehicles don't get tired and don't require mandatory breaks.

And it will be nearly twice as cheap. The per-mile cost would drop from $1.76 to $0.96 if the truck drives itself, according to Embark.

Alex Rodrigues, CEO and co-founder of Embark Technology, insists self-driving trucks will be crucial in combatting the current shortage of long-haul truck drivers in the US, some of whom are unwilling to be away from their families for weeks at a time.

And Rodrigues promises that the self-driving truck industry will create "attractive" jobs for local drivers, who will take over the autonomous trucks at transfer points and drive them to their final destination points.

For Julio Moscoso, a 56-year-old driver in Texas, the arrival of driverless trucks is "not good news."

And most importantly, Moscoso says he wouldn't trust driverless trucks.

At the same time, he admits he does not want to do long-haul journeys anymore, and finds it uncomfortable to sleep in his cabin and not be able to shower every day.

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