Waabi Taps Uber Freight Veteran to Lead Driverless Truck Rollout

Waabi, a self-driving truck startup, has hired autonomous-vehicle veteran Lior Ron as chief operating officer to lead commercialization as the company prepares to run driverless trucks on public highways later this year.

Ron, who scaled Uber Freight from founding to a multibillion-dollar business and co-founded Otto, will drive Waabi’s go-to-market strategy, partnerships, and operational scaling. He will remain chairman of Uber Freight while Rebecca Tinucci, formerly of Tesla’s charging team, steps in as Uber Freight’s head.

Why the hire matters

This is a clear signal that Waabi is moving from development into commercialization. Ron’s experience connecting shippers, carriers, and enterprise buyers addresses the hardest part of autonomy: integrating technology with logistics operations and commercial contracts at scale.

Waabi claims an "AI-first" approach and heavy use of its Waabi World simulator have compressed development timelines and trimmed capital needs. The startup says it is feature-complete and on track for a driverless launch by year-end, targeting Texas for initial routes.

How Waabi is approaching scale

Instead of relying solely on expensive miles of real-world testing, Waabi trains and validates its stack in a closed-loop simulator—then overlays virtual scenarios onto test-track runs to stress-test behavior for accidents, construction, and edge cases. That mix of virtual and physical validation is central to reducing cost and accelerating deployment.

Waabi has raised roughly $288 million to date and is partnering with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to build custom AVs. The company contrasts with deeper-pocketed rivals like Aurora, which already launched a commercial driverless route and commands far larger funding.

What this means for carriers and shippers

Early commercial rollouts will focus on predictable highway freight and depot-level integration. Waabi highlights a capability to drive straight to customer depots, potentially reducing the need for hybrid terminals and simplifying handoffs.

But risks remain: regulatory approval, partner selection, route safety validation, and proving unit economics without repeating the capital challenges that sank other startups. Efficiency in testing and targeted launches could be decisive.

Takeaways for tech and logistics leaders

Waabi’s move shows why combining strong commercial leadership with simulation-first engineering matters. Startups that can validate safety and performance virtually, partner with OEMs, and map customer depot workflows have a clearer path to early revenue.

For carriers and supply-chain teams evaluating autonomy, the questions are practical: which lanes, which partners, how will on-the-ground handoffs work, and when does the math deliver a return on investment?

How analytics can de-risk launches

Operational readiness for driverless freight hinges on scenario planning, route-level validation, and partnership orchestration. Simulation lets teams model rare events and long-tail risks before committing hardware or capital. That’s the playbook Waabi is betting on as it shifts into full commercialization.

Expect the industry to watch how quickly Waabi converts pilots into repeatable, contract-backed lanes and whether its depot-first approach reduces friction for shippers. If successful, this could accelerate adoption across fleets hungry to cut costs and address driver shortages.

As Waabi brings Ron on board, the company faces a tight timetable: finish final performance improvements, secure route partnerships in Texas, and demonstrate safe, scalable operations. Those steps will determine whether Waabi’s simulation-led efficiency is enough to outpace better-funded competitors.