There are millions more jobs driving trucks than there are drivers for those trucks. According to IRU, an organization representing 3.5 million mobility and logistics services globally, there are 3.6 million unfilled positions in 36 countries. Those 36 countries represent 70 percent of the global GDP.
Technology that can help ease the problem is on the way. Many companies are testing driverless tractor-trailers on highways, including U.S. Interstates 35 and 45. Among those companies gearing up for an autonomous future is Volvo Group.
Volvo Trucks currently sells 25 different types of trucks, from gasoline-powered long-haul transporters to the Volvo FM Low Entry, a high-capacity truck for urban work like garbage hauling or construction work.
“At Volvo Group, our Volvo autonomous solutions are currently focused on hub-to-hub freight transport and mining, however the benefits of autonomy extend across multiple industries including construction and public transport,” Lars Stenqvist, chief technology officer of Volvo Group, told Newsweek.
More than just workforce shortages, Stenqvist views autonomous driving technology as safer for roadside workers and public transit riders. “Autonomous technology is already helping to address some of the logistics industry’s most urgent challenges, such as driver shortages, growing freight demand, and long transit times. In construction, autonomy can deliver many of the same benefits, mitigating the shortage of skilled operators, enabling continuous operations, and improving site safety by removing people from hazardous environments. Similarly, in public transport, autonomy can help ease driver shortages, improve safety, and add much needed capacity,” he said.
Rather than replace drivers, Stenqvist envisions autonomous trucks as being able to perform “specific tasks on routes where autonomy can add the most value.”
The Volvo VNL heavy-duty truck was launched with autonomous operations in mind. “The Volvo VNL Autonomous is built on the all-new Volvo VNL, launched in January 2024. This truck model represents a 90% redesign from the ground up, with significant improvements in fuel efficiency, aerodynamics, and safety, making it the ideal platform for autonomous operations.
“At Volvo Group, we made a deliberate choice to develop a new truck platform specifically for autonomous use. The Volvo VNL Autonomous is purpose-designed and purpose-built from the start, ensuring that every aspect of its design caters to the unique requirements of driverless operation—there are no afterthoughts, upgrades, or retrofitting involved,” Stenqvist said.
Each VNL Autonomous is equipped with redundant safety technology and equipment including brakes, steering, communication systems, power and energy storage, vehicle motion management operations and lights. The VNL Autonomous also has Aurora’s self-driving technology, Aurora Driver, integrated into it.
“We view autonomy as a fully integrated system, not as an add-on. From redundant harnessing to protected sensor mounts, every component is engineered for durability, safety, and scalability. Autonomy is embedded, not bolted on, and every design choice reflects our commitment to this principle,” Stenqvist said.
Volvo manufactures the truck at the company’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia.
Autonomous driving operations are enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). “AI is not just at the heart of autonomous transport, it enables intelligence across the entire solution stack. At Volvo Group, we view AI as the critical layer that empowers perception, decision-making, and intelligent vehicle control while always being anchored in safety, reliability, and operational integrity,” the CTO said.
“Our Volvo VNL Autonomous in its first application is powered by the Aurora Driver, which incorporates Aurora’s carefully engineered approach known as Verifiable AI. In parallel, we also have a partnership with Waabi. The Waabi Driver brings a next-generation approach using generative AI trained in advanced simulation. Their system is designed to learn quickly, adapt across regions, and smoothly integrate.”
There isn’t one particular area of autonomous driving that stands out to Stenqvist as being the most challenging.“Autonomy is a systems challenge,” he said.
Stenqvist continued: “Autonomy presents a multifaceted challenge that goes far beyond perception and control. It demands system-level safety, full redundancy, large-scale validation, and seamless integration into complex operational environments.
“Building an autonomous truck is particularly demanding. It’s not just about software or retrofitting sensors—it involves adding over 200 components, including advanced sensors and redundant systems for all safety-critical functions. These must be integrated from the ground up into a cohesive, fail-operational architecture that performs reliably at highway speeds and across a wide range of weather and lighting conditions.
“Sensor fusion, redundancy design, and robust autonomy stack performance are major engineering challenges. Delivering this capability on a scale, with OEM-grade quality and consistency, is equally critical. This is where Volvo Group has a distinct advantage, drawing on decades of experience in vehicle safety, industrialization, and high-quality manufacturing to make autonomy viable at scale.”
And the company sees autonomy not just as a next step but as a game-changing solution for the trucking industry. “Autonomy is more than a technological leap—it’s a critical enabler for meeting growing freight demand, improving safety, and addressing labor shortages. At Volvo Group, we see autonomy as a key driver of long-term efficiency and progress, paving the way for a more resilient future for the transport industry,” Stenqvist said.
Volvo isn’t the only company in the throws of autonomous truck testing. Torc, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, is testing its driverless trucks along routes in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. Like Volvo, the company has built redundancies into its fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia, which is used for the tests.
Torc and its parent company aim to enter the U.S. market with an SAE Level 4 autonomous truck by 2027, it said in April. SAE Level 4 autonomous trucks can operate without a driver under limited conditions. The companies plan to market the truck for use between freight hubs.
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