Getting goods where they need to go safely and easily is at the heart of Waymo Via’s mission. We’ve been carrying freight for customers since 2018, when we completed our first commercial pilot with Google’s Data Centers, and have continued to haul goods on behalf of other Fortune 500 companies across the southwest U.S. As we progress on this journey to commercialize the Waymo Driver for trucking, we’re now working with J.B. Hunt, one of the largest, most reputable, and most innovative transportation logistics companies in the U.S., to autonomously transport loads in Texas for one of their leading customers.

Editor’s Note: In our next “Why I Ride with Waymo,” we catch up with the Henderson family. After moving to Phoenix in 2018, they quickly found a new mode of transportation, the Waymo Driver, when they signed up as part of our early rider program. Over the years, the Henderson family has experienced our technology transform and helped refine it through their great feedback.

Editor’s note: For Mike, Waymo One has become an essential way for him and his family to get where they need to go. They recently downsized to a one-car household and now rely on Waymo for critical trips, like commuting to and from work. Read more about his experience (and how he encouraged his parents and in-laws to ride) in today’s Why I Ride.

Editor’s Note: In 2017, Waymo joined forces with a diverse group of organizations to create Let's Talk Autonomous Driving -- the world's first public education campaign to increase education and understanding around autonomous driving technology. In this Why I Ride with Waymo, we’ll hear from Barb Hoffman, who is a former executive director of our partner Red Means Stop, a traffic advocate organization dedicated to increasing awareness about the dangers and consequences of red light running.

Dear Waymonauts,

After five and a half exhilarating years leading this team, I’ve decided to depart from my CEO role with Waymo and kick-off new adventures. To start, I’m looking forward to a refresh period, reconnecting with old friends and family, and discovering new parts of the world. And I’ll continue to serve as an advisor to Waymo, as you expand the world’s first autonomous public ride-hailing service, Waymo One, and ramp our autonomous delivery product with Waymo Via.

Road safety is a major, global public health crisis. More than 1.3 million people die on the world’s roads every year, according to WHO. That’s more people than die from HIV/AIDS, and is equivalent to a passenger plane’s worth of people crashing every single hour—or one death every 30 seconds.