How Waabi and Volvo’s partnership is accelerating driverless freight for the US
A major shakeup is coming to long-haul freight. Volvo and Waabi just teamed up to unveil a next-generation autonomous VNL aimed squarely at highway hauling, and the companies say it’s built for the kind of real-world conditions truckers face every day.
This new setup combines Volvo’s purpose-built VNL Autonomous with Waabi’s AI “Waabi Driver,” a system trained on millions of challenging scenarios to handle tight traffic, sudden weather shifts, and the unpredictable moves of human drivers.
For fleets wrestling with driver shortages and rising demand, both companies say this rig is designed to run safer, longer, and more consistently across major freight corridors. Whether you’re behind the wheel today or planning the future of your fleet, this tech could change how freight moves in the coming years.
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How this AI-powered autonomous truck was built for scale
In early 2025, Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions announced a long-term partnership to develop and deploy autonomous trucks.
Volvo’s New River Valley plant in Virginia is producing the VNL Autonomous with six critical redundant or back-up systems, including dual braking, steering, communication, computing, power, energy storage and motion control, enabling safe operations. This is key to safe operations without a driver in the seat.
Waabi provides the Waabi Driver, an end-to-end AI model that learns from experience and adapts to new conditions. The company also uses its advanced simulator, Waabi World, to expose the AI to millions of realistic driving situations before it reaches the road. Waabi calls this approach “physical AI,” which allows it to generalize across different environments safely.
“The future of autonomous trucking depends on technology that is safe, scalable, and built for customer needs,” said Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi. “Together with Volvo and NVIDIA, we’re leading autonomous freight into a safer and more efficient era.”
Why the AI-powered autonomous truck matters for freight
The U.S. freight market continues to face growing demand and a shortage of qualified drivers. AI-powered autonomous trucks offer one of the most promising solutions to keep goods moving. By integrating the self-driving technologies of partners like Aurora Innovation and Waabi into the Volvo VNL Autonomous on the pilot line at its New River Facility in Virginia, Volvo Autonomous Solutions is able to deliver autonomous trucks with OEM-grade quality and consistency.
Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, says the partnership is helping build the broader ecosystem needed for commercial deployment.
“Autonomy has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in the transport industry, including safety, efficiency and capacity,” Jaeger said.
The collaboration also draws strength from NVIDIA’s computing platform.
“Self-driving is one of the first frontiers in which we will see physical AI become a reality,” said Rishi Dhall, vice president of Automotive at NVIDIA. “Our purpose-built compute platform complements Waabi’s pioneering end-to-end verifiable trucking system, and it’s coming to life on the VNL Autonomous. Level 4 autonomy in trucking is happening now.”
Concerns and challenges facing AI-powered trucks
Despite the excitement, driverless freight faces real challenges. Safety remains the top concern as trucks encounter unpredictable weather, road debris, and human drivers. While simulation can prepare AI for millions of events, regulators are still defining how to certify systems for nationwide deployment.
The shift toward automation also raises economic questions. Trucking employs millions of drivers across the U.S., and experts predict that job roles will evolve as fleets adopt autonomous systems. Labor groups and state officials are calling for retraining programs to help workers transition into new positions that support automation.
Data privacy and cybersecurity are growing priorities, too. These trucks depend on constant cloud connectivity, which makes them potential targets for hackers.
Public perception could also influence how fast adoption moves. Many people like the idea of innovation but hesitate to share the road with fully autonomous vehicles. Building trust will require transparency, safety trials, and a strong performance record on open highways.
What comes next for the AI-powered autonomous truck
Volvo and Waabi have already completed the integration of the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous. The companies describe this milestone as a key step toward Level 4 autonomous operation, meaning the truck will be able to drive itself without human intervention under defined conditions.
This collaboration builds on Volvo Group Venture Capital’s early investment in Waabi in 2023 and its later participation in Waabi’s $200 million Series B funding round in 2024. That support helped set the stage for this integration and for future broad commercial deployment.
Shahrukh Kazmi, chief product officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions, says Waabi’s technology fits perfectly into Volvo’s platform.
“We are excited to integrate Waabi’s cutting-edge system into our autonomous truck and jointly develop a safe, efficient and scalable transport solution,” Kazmi said.
What this means to you
Automation could make highways safer by cutting down on fatigue-related crashes. With fewer disruptions from freight incidents, travel may become smoother for everyone sharing the road.
This collaboration highlights how artificial intelligence is moving from theory to production lines and changing the way goods move across America.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The road ahead for self-driving freight looks both exciting and uncertain. The progress made by AI-powered trucks shows how far automation has come in solving real challenges like driver shortages and delivery delays. At the same time, it sparks debate about safety, employment, and trust in technology. As this shift continues, clear communication and responsible testing will help the public feel more confident sharing the road with these trucks. Change is already rolling out, and how we respond today will define the future of transportation.
When fully autonomous trucks start traveling highways nationwide, will the promise of faster and safer freight outweigh the economic and social changes that follow? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
This week on Kurt’s podcast, Beyond Connected: We’re tackling a topic that hits hard every December: holiday scams. I break down the five big scams you’re most likely to run into this season, from gift card grifts to fake shopping sites that pop up just long enough to drain your wallet. With more people buying gifts online and shipping packages across the country, scammers see a huge opening, and I’ll walk you through simple steps that help you stay safe.
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Kurt Knutsson — best known as “Kurt the CyberGuy” — has a deep love of technology that makes life better. Because of this, along with a passion for helping others, he created the largest syndicated tech lifestyle franchise on television. As a trusted source, Kurt’s unique insider access to major tech launches and industry visionaries has helped earn him two Emmy Awards and a Golden Mic.
Kurt lives between his home in California and New York City, where he is also the chief tech contributor on Fox News & Fox Business networks beginning his mornings on Fox & Friends.
Kurt’s a curious guy. Like many entrepreneurs in life, he wears several hats like running a private investment fund, giving inspirational talks, mentoring start-ups and traveling the world chasing down the next breakthrough.
