Embark Trucks (NASDAQ: EMBK) and Knight-Swift Transportation have announced that Embark has initiated the first handover of an Embark-powered truck as part of the Truck Transfer Program. This marks the first public initiative where a carrier will directly own and operate a truck with select features of Embark's autonomous driving software. 

Knight-Swift will be the first carrier to place its own drivers behind the wheel of an Embark-powered truck, allowing the company to collect data on system safety and operational performance. 

The two companies have been working on several operational initiatives, including developing maintenance procedures for autonomous vehicle systems, training and certifying Knight-Swift drivers. Embark is also training Knight-Swift technicians on how to service and interact with the trucks.

While on the road, Embark-powered trucks will be monitored and supported by Embark Guardian, a combination of cloud-based fleet management software and personnel, which will monitor the health of the Embark system while enhancing safety on the road.

Embark CEO Alex Rodrigues stated:  “Handing over the first Embark-powered truck to the Knight-Swift team tops off a year in which Embark has made critical strides to close the gap between testing our autonomous technology and scaling it across customer fleets.”

Headquartered in San Francisco CA, Embark Technology is an autonomous vehicle company building the software powering autonomous trucks, focused on improving the approximately $730 billion a year U.S. highway truck freight market.

Shares of Embark Trucks trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol EMBK.