Aurora Innovation announced a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics, a leading provider in dry bulk and frac sand solutions, to autonomously transport proppants, including frac sand, for a major multinational oil and gas company in the Permian Basin.
The deployment, which will operate on public roads and highways, marks the first time frac sand will be hauled autonomously in the Permian Basin. It also establishes one of Aurora’s initial routes between customer sites, signaling an expansion beyond its current terminal-to-terminal operations.
Supervised autonomous operations between Detmar’s facility in Midland, Texas, and Capital Sand’s mining site in Monahans are scheduled to begin early next year. The transition to fully driverless operations, without an onboard operator, is expected in the second quarter of 2026, coinciding with the deployment of Aurora’s second fleet of driverless trucks. The route includes driving on Interstate 20, as well as local and private roads. Aurora noted that its system will autonomously navigate advanced on-site tasks, including overhead filling silos for proppant loading.
Under the initial contract, Detmar Logistics has committed to utilizing 30 Aurora Driver-powered trucks in 2026, with each unit slated to operate for over 20 hours a day. Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson highlighted the expected efficiency gain, stating, “With the Aurora Driver, Detmar can achieve nearly 24/7 asset utilization and effectively double its capacity to move sand for a leading energy producer.”
The autonomous operations are intended to improve safety in the Permian Basin, which experiences higher rates of severe crashes compared to the rest of Texas, by enabling trucks to operate without human limitations such as fatigue.
Matt Detmar, CEO of Detmar Logistics, indicated that the technology will be a key competitive advantage. “Aurora’s autonomous technology is a game changer for our industry. It will enable us to safely improve efficiency and support our customers’ continuous operations. We expect autonomous trucks to become a competitive advantage to strengthen and grow our business in the years to come.” Detmar plans to integrate the autonomous trucks alongside its current human-operated fleet.
The agreement with Detmar Logistics builds upon Aurora’s recent operational progress in Texas. The company recently surpassed 100,000 driverless miles on public roads and expanded its commercial operations with the launch of a second driverless route between Fort Worth and El Paso.
Aurora also announced plans to deploy next-generation Aurora Driver hardware in 2026, which the company states is designed to cut hardware costs by half and boost performance and durability. This new hardware includes an updated version of its FirstLight Lidar, capable of detecting objects up to 1,000 meters away.