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McLeod Completes Autonomous Truck Integration With Aurora
New Software Link Lets Carriers Book Driverless Capacity
Key Takeaways:
- McLeod Software finished integrating Aurora Innovation’s autonomous driving technology, letting carriers book and manage self-driving trucks through existing McLeod systems, the companies said Jan. 15.
- The integration, available on LoadMaster and PowerBroker version 21.1 or newer, supports autonomous load tendering, real-time tracking and automated updates.
- Aurora, which began commercial autonomous freight service in Texas in April 2025, plans to offer its virtual driver via a subscription driver-as-a-service model.
McLeod Software has completed its previously announced software integration with self-driving truck developer Aurora Innovation’s virtual driver technology.
The collaboration between McLeod and Aurora, first announced Aug. 28, enables trucking businesses to book and manage autonomous truck capacity using their existing McLeod transportation management systems.
“In a market that demands constant innovation, we are proud to be the first TMS to put the power of autonomous trucking directly into the hands of our customers,” McLeod Software founder and CEO Tom McLeod said in the Jan. 15 announcement.
McLeod’s integration with the Aurora Driver, completed ahead of schedule, is now available to carriers running version 21.1 or newer of its LoadMaster and PowerBroker software.
McLeod users can tender autonomous loads directly with the TMS screen they use every day.
From there, dispatchers receive real-time location tracking and automatic status updates from the Aurora Driver to improve transparency and help ensure on-time pickup and delivery.
“We’ve turned driverless trucking technology into a practical, everyday service,” said Ossa Fisher, president of Aurora. “By embedding the Aurora Driver directly into the McLeod ecosystem, we are enabling carriers to easily adopt driverless trucks and immediately start optimizing their networks.”
One early adopter is El Paso, Texas-based motor carrier Russell Transport, a longtime McLeod customer that is now utilizing the integration to book loads on autonomous trucks equipped with the Aurora Driver.
“The ability to tender autonomous loads through our existing McLeod dashboard has been a meaningful operational improvement,” said Rami Abdeljaber, executive vice president and chief operations officer at Russell Transport. “We are seeing efficiency gains without disrupting our operations. The integration is seamless, real-time, and operationally effective.”
(Aurora via YouTube)
Aurora commercially launched its autonomous trucking service in April 2025 with regular freight hauls between Dallas and Houston and has since expanded to a second commercial lane in Texas connecting Fort Worth and El Paso.
The company’s autonomous Class 8 trucks operating on those lanes currently have observers sitting in the driver’s seat, but the Aurora Driver handles the entire driving task with no human intervention, Aurora has said.
Today, Aurora is operating its autonomous trucks itself, but the company intends to supply its virtual driver technology to trucking companies via a subscription-based, driver-as-a-service business model.
In addition to its work with McLeod, Aurora also has partnered with truck makers Paccar Inc. and Volvo and suppliers such as Continental spinoff Aumovio and Nvidia to deploy its technology in the freight transportation industry.
