Uber and Waymo team up to get driverless trucks rolling

Uber and Google's autonomous vehicle unit Waymo said they are joining forces to get driverless trucks hauling cargo on roads across the United States.    

Due to the vast distances between American cities and with truck transport key to the economy, companies see self-driving as a way to cut costs and reduce risk.    

Waymo will allow its technology to mesh with an Uber Freight platform that connects truckers with loads in a spin on how Uber lets people summon rides using smartphone apps.        

Carriers that buy trucks equipped with Waymo systems will be able to opt in to having the vehicles deployed as "autonomous assets" on the Uber Freight network, the companies said.    

The firms will also explore together the potential for creating hubs where cargo is easily handed off from self-driving trucks to human truckers.       

Before driverless trucks are allowed onto roads and highways, however, multiple tests must still be conducted to ensure they are safe.    

Waymo has been testing self-driving trucks in a handful of U.S. states.