Tale Lites Issue 29

Book Parking | List your Property 

🚛 Aurora Powers Forward with Driverless Trucks at Night

Following last week’s Newsletter where we discussed Vince Fong’s “America Drives Act” it looks like Aurora, an autonomous truck developer, is doubling down.

In its latest business update, Aurora revealed it’s now running driverless trucks at night between Dallas and Houston, which is one of the busiest trucking corridors in the U.S. The company says its technology can detect objects in the dark over 450 meters away, which can allegedly spot potential hazards up to 11 seconds earlier than a human driver.

When adding night operations, those trucks are expected to double utilization and “reduce delivery times” Something they have been promosing investors

To support this expansion, Aurora opened a new terminal in Phoenix in June, positioning itself closer to customer delivery points and further building out its southwestern U.S. network.

“Efficiency, uptime, and reliability are important for our customers,” said Aurora CEO and co-founder Chris Urmson. “Just three months after launch, we’re running trucks day and night and expanding our reach. We’re beginning to unlock the full value of self driving technology.”

Currently, Aurora is running autonomous freight for Hirschbach and Werner between Phoenix and Fort Worth. Its driverless fleet now includes three trucks, which have collectively logged over 20,000 autonomous miles. To offer more transparency, the company even launched a livestream of its driverless hauls.

Aurora’s first driverless trip happened back in April, with a refrigerated trailer running between Dallas and Houston. Urmson was onboard, seated in the back, with no one behind the wheel.

However, just a few weeks later, Aurora made a change. At the request of longtime partner Paccar, a human “observer” was moved to the front seat. Urmson emphasized the change wasn’t due to safety concerns. The observer isn’t involved in driving and doesn’t even need a commercial driver’s license, according to Aurora. Just typing that out makes no sense.

Aurora’s momentum coupled with the legislation Vince Fong is introducing isn’t news that is going to fire up drivers. The general public is being left in the dark on these decisions, and I think that everyone should have a say on how this technology is implemented, seeing as how our roads are shared by everyone.

I want to hear from you! For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

North Dakota Raising Speed Limits!

As of August 1, 2025 the speed limit on most of North Dakota’s interstate highways has increased from 75 to 80mph. The North Dakota Department of Transportation began updating signs at midnight and will continue the rollout over the next two weeks.

Be advised, not every stretch of highway is getting the boost. Speed limits will remain lower, still at 70mph, near a couple cities, including Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Medora, and Valley City.

Drivers should also know that with higher speeds comes tighter enforcement. According to Inforum, the North Dakota Highway Patrol is allowing just 2mph of wiggle room over the new limit, which is down from their typical 5 over leniency.

North Dakota took to social media to add a little humor to their new speed limits as well.

Health Tip of the Week - Get Protein in Early!

When I was over the road I always made sure my mornings started with at least 30g of protein. A typical breakfast was apple, banana, and protein bar. What I was mainly doing was staying within my macros (Calories, Protein, Carbs, Fats) but come to find out there is a method behind that madness.

Starting your morning with a high-protein meal helps:

• 🔄 Stabilize blood sugar

• 💪 Preserve and build muscle

• 🍽️ Keep you full longer (less cravings, less likely to snack)

Aim for 25-40g of protein at breakfast think eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shakes, lean meats. Every major truck stop chain has protein bars. I would sometimes get a Legendary Poptart and Quest bar. Less than 400cal and 40g of protein off the rip.

Pro tip: Most people undereat protein early, then snack later. If snacking is a weakness, arm yourself with protein early to fight it!

Interested in one on one coaching? Download the 1stPhorm app today!

Partner Post of the Week

Check out this video from our good friend Just Another OTR Guy where he breaks down how to use the Truck Parking Club app! You can use the code otrguy20 for $20 off your next booking

@just_another_otr_guy

Truck parking club comes in handy when you need it! @Truck Parking Club @Lombard Trucking #trucking #truckersoftiktok #largecar #foryoupag... See more

Truck Parking Club Partner Program

Do you create content for truckers, want to help solve the truck parking crisis, and an opportunity to give drivers FREE parking? Let’s work together! Click below to apply for Truck Parking Club’s Partner Program today!