Sterling Anderson

Proud to be.

I’ve wondered what the world thought on December 17, 1903, when one man flew 800 feet. While history now recognizes this moment as one that changed the arc of humanity, most at the time considered it with a collective shrug. Not even the hometown newspaper reported it, declaring the flights too short to be important. Fast forward to two weeks ago, when I watched from our Texas Command Center as the world’s first fully autonomous truck rolled out of a Texas terminal, traversed frontage roads, highways, and surface streets, and arrived at a Houston terminal. An hour later, and with a new load, it did it again. Then again. And again. And again. By day three, what had felt like magic now felt like business as usual. By week two, it was clear to me that the world had forever changed. With that change, Aurora became a new company; no longer an upstart in pursuit of one of the most difficult technological breakthroughs of the last 100 years, but a clear leader poised to transform an industry. With its strategy clear, our partnerships established, our product launched, and our leadership team built, Aurora has entered a new phase of growth, profitability, and impact. In the strongest position we’ve ever had. With this new chapter beginning, I’ve decided to hand the reins to the remarkable bench of leaders we’ve brought on over the years. These are people I trust. They’re people who have worked with me, Chris, and Drew for years. They don’t just understand the business, the technology, and the execution of its strategy; they’ve played an active role in their creation. As I told the Aurora team this week, this isn't the end of my relationship with the company or the mission. In one way or another, we'll always be connected. The next chapter of Aurora’s journey will be exhilarating, and I look forward to seeing it in the history books one day. Right next to the Wright Flyer’s first flight.

In 2017, we founded Aurora to transform the way people and goods move on our roadways. We envisioned a future where transportation was safer, more efficient, and more resilient. Last month, after eight years of focused development, Aurora launched the world’s first commercial self-driving truck service on public roads. I’ve had the privilege of launching several products in my career; none compared to this one for their significance to the future of humanity. As I watched our trucks from our Texas command center as they rolled out on their various missions, this didn’t feel like just another product launch. It felt like the start of a new era. A critical turning point in addressing the devastating human and economic toll of road accidents, bolstering the resilience of our supply chains, and eliminating unnecessary friction in how we connect and move. This product is the culmination of thousands of person-years of unwavering commitment to a mission. It is a testament to an extraordinary team’s strategic vision, technological ingenuity, developmental execution, and commercial acumen. Their tireless work has positioned Aurora at the forefront of an industry, poised to deliver at immense scale in partnership with a powerful ecosystem of industry partners. To the Aurora team, thank you for your unwavering commitment to the cause. And to our partners, our suppliers, our customers, and our investors, thank you for your continued partnership as we build the future of self-driving freight together.

Newsom’s done the right thing tonight. Our roads will be safer and our economy better, for it.

This is hard. It’s been a real investment for us. And it’s the key unlock for safe highway speed driving. I’m proud of the team that’s come together to create, integrate, and - ultimately - deploy it.

For those keeping track, this is lane 2.