Beer Run! Self-Driving Truck Goes 120-Plus Miles on Delivery

Uber's Otto teamed with Anheuser-Busch to haul a truckload of Budweiser

Anheuser-Busch says it has completed the world's first commercial shipment by self-driving truck, sending a beer-filled tractor-trailer on a journey of more than 120 miles through Colorado.

The company says it teamed with self-driving truck maker Otto and the state of Colorado for the feat. The trailer, loaded with Budweiser beer, began the self-driving trip Thursday at a weigh station in Fort Collins, Colorado, and ran along Interstate 25 through Denver before wrapping up in Colorado Springs.

The company says a professional truck driver was on board for the entire route and monitored the trip from the cab's sleeper berth. A video of the drive shows the 53-foot trailer filled with 2,000 cases of Bud rumbling down I-25 with no human in the cab.

Otto's self-driving technology is currently confined to only to highways, with humans taking over the wheel in city traffic.

Anheuser-Busch says it hopes to see self-driving technology widely deployed.

"The incredible success of this pilot shipment is an example of what is possible when you deploy self-driving technology. It also showcases the importance of collaboration with forward-looking states like Colorado and innovative companies like Anheuser-Busch," said Otto Co-Founder Lior Ron in a news release. "By embracing this technology, both organizations are actively contributing to the creation of a safer and more efficient transportation network. We are excited to have reached this milestone together, and look forward to further rolling out our technology on the nation's highways."

Otto was recently acquired by Uber.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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