Google’s driverless vehicle division Waymo is opening a new depot in Dallas, Texas to try out a fleet of autonomous 18-wheeler HGVs.

The company’s told Forbes Magazine that it will hire local truckers to assist with evaluations on the highway.

Forbes adds that the mapping of roads in Texas and New Mexico with high-definition cameras and sensors on Waymo’s autonomous minivans was completed in March. The lorries will operate on the I-10, I-20 and I-45 interstates and other high-capacity commercial routes between Texas and New Mexico.

“In addition to further advancing our trucking capabilities, we’re excited to explore how our tech might be able to create new transportation solutions in Texas, which has a high freight volume and is a favourable environment for deploying AVs,” Forbes quotes a company spokesperson as saying.

(Picture source: Waymo)