Truckmaker Volvo and self-driving startup Aurora are partnering to commercialize autonomous semis that can handle highway driving without a human being at the wheel amid a flurry of trucking industry alliances.

The Swedish company’s Volvo Autonomous Solutions tapped Silicon Valley-based Aurora as technology partner to create so-called Level-4 trucks that can operate in a service running from hub to hub on commercial routes in North America. The companies aren’t disclosing financial details and Aurora says it will be a few years before commercial units are on the road…

Growing demand for trucking services across the U.S., a tight supply of human drivers and an operating environment that’s relatively easier to master—compared with urban settings—has made robotic trucking particularly attractive to autonomous tech companies. Aurora, which earlier this year announced a tech alliance with Paccar, joins Alphabet’s Waymo and startup TuSimple in forming partnerships with truck-building giants.
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