Charger Logistics plans to own up to 500 Aurora driverless trucks, delivered in 2027 and 2028
Charger Logistics intends to buy up to 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks under a non-binding memorandum of understanding, months after signing its first contract with Aurora in July.
- Up to 500
- 2027 and 2028
- 30,000
What Happened
Aurora Innovation announced a memorandum of understanding with Charger Logistics under which the carrier intends to purchase up to 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks. The agreement builds on Charger's existing contract signed in July, which Aurora says underscores the carrier's belief that the Aurora Driver will be critical to expanding its network and strengthening its business. Charger Logistics operates across the U.S. and Mexico, moving goods for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive and retail industries. Under the non-binding MOU, the 500 trucks would be delivered over 2027 and 2028 and deployed on current and new high-volume routes near the border and throughout the country.
“Since launching autonomous operations along the Laredo corridor, we've realized immediate operational benefits that point to a clear path to scaling. Aurora's plans to open long-haul, high-volume routes position us to scale geographically while we integrate autonomy from our TMS to the road, building a resilient and autonomous ecosystem for our customers.”
Charger Logistics signs its initial contract with Aurora for autonomous trucking.
Aurora announces a non-binding MOU under which Charger intends to purchase up to 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks.
Delivery of the trucks is scheduled to take place over these two years.
Aurora's plan targets scaling to 30,000 driverless trucks, with DaaS agreements described as a critical component.
- Owns and operates the physical trucks, intends to subscribe to Aurora's Driver as a Service model and aims to maximize Total Cost of Ownership savings
- Expects a high-margin, capital-efficient and asset-light business while progressing toward 30,000 driverless trucks in 2030
Upon a final agreement, Charger intends to subscribe to Aurora's Driver as a Service (DaaS) model, in which ownership of the physical asset allows the carrier to maximize Total Cost of Ownership savings. Aurora, in parallel, benefits from an expected high-margin, capital-efficient and asset-light business. Aurora says DaaS agreements are a critical component of its plan to scale to 30,000 driverless trucks in 2030, and that additional customers are pursuing DaaS contracts to own and operate their own driverless fleets. Zac Andreoni, Aurora's Vice President of Business Development, said the launch of the company's second-generation hardware and trucks means Aurora is ready to support customers' ambitions to grow their networks.
“Owning the physical asset is the logical choice for our customers: it makes today's operations more efficient and enables carriers to grow their business, keeping them competitive.”
Previously from Aurora Innovation, Inc.
Aurora has been publicly laying out how it intends to scale self-driving trucking, hosting an Analyst & Investor Day in Dallas on September 23, 2026. The company is also scheduled to report its third quarter 2026 results after the market closes on October 28, 2026, followed by a business review conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
- Aurora to Host Analyst & Investor Day on September 23, 2026
- Aurora to release third quarter 2026 results and host review call on October 28, 2026
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Aurora Innovation, Inc.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The deal points to a shift from renting autonomous capacity to carriers owning the driverless trucks themselves, which Aurora says lets hauliers cut total cost of ownership and grow their networks. Charger Logistics moves freight for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive and retail customers across the U.S. and Mexico, so those supply chains would be affected. Because the MOU is non-binding, no final agreement or firm orders are guaranteed.
Terms in This Story
- Driver as a Service (DaaS)
- A model where the customer owns the vehicle but subscribes to the company's self-driving system and related services.
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- The full cost of running an asset over its life, including purchase, operation and maintenance, rather than just the sticker price.
- Memorandum of understanding (MOU)
- A written but typically non-binding agreement outlining what two parties intend to do, ahead of a final contract.
- TMS
- Transportation management system: software used by carriers to plan, execute and track freight movements.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.