Autonomous trucks may make headlines but technology alone is not enough to make it real. You need cities willing to help, infrastructure that supports growth, and safety frameworks that allow these vehicles to scale. Right now, the Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ) in Fort Worth, Texas, is shaping up to be one of the most advanced autonomous trucking hubs in the country.

We spoke with Ian Kinne, director of logistics and innovation at Hillwood, to learn how the MIZ is working with industry, government, and the community to prepare for the future of freight.

Why Autonomous Trucking Companies Choose Fort Worth

“We’ve worked with just about every single autonomous trucking company now in the industry,” Kinne said. That includes companies like Torc Robotics, Aurora, and Volvo Autonomous Solutions, which all have operations in the area.

He pointed to three major reasons why the MIZ and the larger AllianceTexas region attracts AV freight companies:

  • Central location with access to major interstates;
  • Consistent year-round weather; and
  • Texas’s welcoming regulatory stance.

“The state took a different approach. They said, ‘rather than being closed off to new technology, we want to be on the forefront of this,’” Kinne explained. He was referring to Texas Senate Bill 2205, which opened the door for AV testing starting in 2017.

Safety as the Starting Point

Autonomous freight is often discussed in terms of efficiency and cost savings, but safety is the priority for many companies. “They’re not looking at it as a reduction in labor costs,” Kinne said. “They’re looking at it from just the insurance premiums continue to rise.” He explained that technologies like forward collision assist and lane-keeping have shown measurable safety improvements, which autonomous systems build on.

Kinne also referenced upcoming legislation that would give the state power to limit unsafe AV operators. “If they’re not operating in a safe manner, the ability to actually deal with that and take those trucks off of the roads, I think that’s absolutely important.”

How Public-Private Partnerships Power Growth

AllianceTexas is a privately led development, but Kinne said collaboration with public agencies is key. “We’ve got about $1.1 billion of public investment here in Alliance and about $16.3 billion of total investments. That’s about a 16-to-1 ratio of private to public.”

The site includes 27,000 acres and supports over 66,000 daily jobs. For Hillwood, autonomy is not just about adopting the next tech trend. “We build four walls and a roof at the end of the day, but we have to work very closely with our city to ensure that the networks, the roadways, the infrastructure to get to those buildings … are in a place where our customers aren’t enabled and encouraged to do what they need to do for their business to be successful.”

What About Trucking Jobs?

Kinne acknowledged the ongoing concern about job displacement. “If you’re a truck driver now, the absolute likelihood is that you will still be a truck driver for as long as you want to be,” he explained that the hub-to-hub model currently being used still requires local drivers on either end.

He also emphasized efforts to train and re-skill workers. “They’ve done a very good job of working with some of the local community colleges as well on educating … the workforce that’s needed for the autonomous vehicles.”

Preparing for the Next Phase

While most autonomous trucks still run on diesel, the Fort Worth region is preparing for an electric future too. “We’ve begun to spend a lot more time with electric trucks,” Kinne said, especially for last-mile and drayage applications. Long-haul routes remain a diesel-dominated space, but Kinne said the groundwork is being laid for broader energy transitions.

With Dallas-Fort Worth projected to grow to 11.5 million residents by 2045, infrastructure pressure will only increase. From nighttime AV operations to network route optimization, Kinne noted that Fort Worth is working to build the future.

Watch On The Road to hear more from Kinne on how the MIZ is helping shape the era of autonomy.

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