Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) and Waabi have started autonomous freight operations for Warp along the Dallas-Houston corridor in Texas, the first customer operation in the two companies’ partnership. According to Volvo Group, the Volvo VNL Autonomous powered by the Waabi Driver is now hauling freight directly to third-party facilities, with an observer currently in the driver’s seat. Warp, which provides less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) services for carriers and shippers, will use the operation to move its customers’ goods autonomously along the corridor.
Highlights
- First customer operation in the Volvo-Waabi partnership, with Warp as the launch customer.
- Direct-to-facility runs on the Dallas-Houston corridor, delivering to third-party sites without handoffs.
- Six safety-critical systems carry redundancies on the Volvo VNL Autonomous, according to Volvo.
- Supervised operation: autonomous hauls currently run with an observer in the driver’s seat.
How Autona / Freight Plugs Into Warp’s Network
The operation integrates V.A.S.’ autonomous transport ecosystem, Autona / freight, into Warp’s freight network. Volvo says the integration creates opportunities to optimize freight flows and support more efficient movement of goods as demand grows.
Autona / freight combines several layers into one transport offering:
- Vehicle: the Volvo VNL Autonomous
- Driving system: Waabi’s autonomous driving technology
- Fleet and transport management
- Terminals and customer endpoints
- Operations and uptime support
Volvo describes the VNL Autonomous as purpose-built for autonomy, with redundancies for six safety-critical systems. The truck is designed to integrate autonomous driving systems from partners such as Waabi.
“Together with Warp and Waabi, we are bringing autonomous freight into customer operations in one of logistics’ most demanding segments. This shows how quickly our ecosystem can adapt to new customers and more complex operations. What we learn on the Dallas–Houston corridor will help us strengthen our partnership and continuously improve the ecosystem as we scale,” said Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
Why Is LTL Freight Harder to Automate?
LTL shipping depends on dynamic networks that consolidate, haul, and distribute goods from multiple customers on tightly coordinated schedules. The companies say that moving freight directly between facilities, without handoffs, gives LTL providers like Warp a more predictable way to keep their networks on schedule.
Warp combines LTL and FTL transportation in a single network and lists Walmart, DoorDash, and Gopuff among its customers.
“Working with Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Waabi demonstrates what Warp’s network was built for: bringing advanced technology into the everyday movement of freight,” said Daniel Sokolovsky, CEO of Warp. “The value of autonomy grows when you can coordinate the freight around it. Warp brings together shipments from multiple customers and aligns routes, capacity, and timing, so advances on a single lane can benefit the broader network.”
Next Steps Beyond the Dallas-Houston Lane
V.A.S. and Waabi plan to use operating experience from the Dallas-Houston lane to prepare additional routes and support broader scaling of autonomous freight in the coming years.
“Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions are building toward a future where autonomous trucks integrate seamlessly into the networks that move freight every day,” said Lior Ron, COO of Waabi. “Our work with Warp is the first milestone on that path, demonstrating that the Volvo VNL Autonomous, powered by the Waabi Driver, can take on the full range of real-world freight, from operating within less-than-truckload networks to moving goods directly to third-party facilities, meeting customers where they are. We’re incredibly excited about what’s ahead as we continue building that future together with Volvo.”
