The sand must flow: Aurora’s driverless fleet hits Permian roads
Aurora Innovation has reached a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics to haul frac sand in West Texas’ Permian Basin using autonomous trucks on public roads and highways. The companies announced the deal on Dec. 8, 2025.
According to Aurora, this deployment marks the first time frac sand will be autonomously hauled on public roads and highways in the Permian Basin. The sand—also called proppant—is used in hydraulic fracturing and is moved in high volumes to keep oilfield operations running.
Under the agreement, Aurora Innovation is providing Detmar Logistics the first autonomous trucks to utilize public roads to deliver frac sand in the Permian Basin. Detmar will use Aurora’s in-house Peterbilt tractors to move the loads.
Aurora said the trucks will initially operate with human supervision along a dedicated route. The operation is expected to run up to 20 hours a day on a mix of public and private roads in the oilfield.
Looking ahead, the companies said they plan to move to fully driverless operations with no one onboard in the second quarter of 2026. The announcement also includes plans for a 2026 deployment of 30 driverless trucks hauling frac sand on public highways in the Permian Basin.
For drivers, the significance isn’t just the technology—it’s the location and the freight. The Permian is one of the country’s busiest freight corridors, with constant oilfield traffic and time-sensitive deliveries. This deal puts autonomous trucking into a high-tempo work environment where safety and steady, around-the-clock service are major concerns.
The move is also a shift for Aurora. The company said this milestone comes as it expands beyond the terminal-to-terminal work it has focused on previously, bringing autonomous operations into a more complex oilfield hauling setting.
- Who: Aurora Innovation and Detmar Logistics
- What: Autonomous hauling of frac sand (proppant) on public roads and highways
- Where: Permian Basin in West Texas
- When: Announced Dec. 8, 2025; driverless operations expected to start in Q2 2026
- Scale: Plans include 30 driverless trucks in 2026