Benzinga | Jan 14, 2022 10:44AM EST

J B Hunt Inks Long-Term, Strategic Alliance With Waymo Via

* J B Hunt Transport Services Inc (NASDAQ:JBHT) entered a long-term, strategic alliance with Waymo Via to advance efforts to integrate commercial autonomous driving technology in transportation and logistics. Deal terms not disclosed.

* "Our pilot last year with Waymo Via really helped us get a hands-on understanding of how autonomous driving technology could be implemented within our operations," said Craig Harper, chief sustainability officer, and EVP at J B Hunt.

* The expanded collaboration includes multiple pilots to further analyze the operational capacity of Waymo Via, the autonomous Class 8 trucking unit powered by the Waymo Driver, to address customer needs in realistic scenarios.

* Waymo and J B Hunt completed their first trial runs last year, moving freight along I-45 in Texas. The upcoming pilots will take place in the same lane.

* The parties will also explore solutions that merge autonomous driving technology and the digital marketplace.

* Price Action: JBHT shares are trading lower by 2.36% at $199.37 on the last check Friday.