Bot Auto’s driverless trucks are Freightliner tractors retrofitted with its self-driving technology and extra safety components. (Bot Auto)
February 27, 2026 10:51 AM, EST
Key Takeaways:
- Ryan Transportation and Bot Auto agreed to launch driverless freight service this spring on the overnight Houston–Dallas-Fort Worth lane.
- The companies say the 200-mile corridor is difficult for human drivers due to fatigue, hours-of-service limits and availability, and Bot Auto offers Level 4 autonomous trucks.
- Ryan plans to integrate Bot Auto’s transportation-as-a-service model into its network as Bot Auto expands driverless operations on Texas routes.
Third-party logistics provider and freight broker Ryan Transportation will team up with self-driving truck software developer Bot Auto on a Texas lane, the companies said Feb. 25.
Overland Park, Kan.-based Ryan Transportation, a division of Shamrock Trading, ranks No. 54 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America and No. 19 among freight brokerages. The company employs more than 700 staff.
Ryan brokers drayage, dry van truckload, expedited, flatbed, heavy haul, intermodal, less-than-truckload and refrigerated freight for shippers. The company said it has a network of 80,000 carriers.
Bot Auto argues the roughly 200-mile corridor has “historically been difficult to service with human drivers.”
Fatigue, hours-of-service limits and driver availability make this a challenging lane to cover reliably with traditional capacity, it noted.
Bot Auto’s driverless trucks are Freightliner tractors retrofitted with its self-driving technology and extra safety components.
Driverless runs are expected to begin in the spring. The first deployment will focus on the overnight Houston-Dallas-Fort Worth lane.
Ryan Transportation plans to integrate Bot Auto’s transportation-as-a-service model into its logistics network.
“Forming this partnership is a strategic decision based on Bot Auto’s proven technology and the role autonomous trucking will play long-term in logistics,” said Jeff Henderson, Ryan Transportation senior vice president. “It will strengthen our ability to provide dependable, high-frequency capacity on time-sensitive freight while maintaining the operational standards our customers expect.”
Bot Auto’s first driverless runs on public roads took place in the summer of 2025 in the Houston area. A 40-mile validation run — including on interstates 10 and 90 — took place July 17 with no one in the cab or remote assistance.
(Bot Auto via YouTube)
The company is also focusing on a lane between its Houston and San Antonio hubs.
In June 2025, San Antonio-headquartered doormaker Steves & Sons began the first Bot Auto pilot program alongside its managed logistics provider, J.B. Hunt Transport Services.
Bot Auto offers Level 4 autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are classified in levels 1 to 5. Level 4 does not require human interaction in most circumstances, but a driver can still manually override systems.
Houston-based Bot Auto was founded in 2023 by former TuSimple CEO Xiaodi Hou. He broke cover on the venture in September 2024. Hou was joined at Bot Auto by several former TuSimple colleagues.
