Humble Robotics raises $51M for cabless hauler pilots

Humble Robotics secured $51 million in Series A funding on Thursday to deploy its driverless Humble Hauler on port drayage and warehouse routes. Obvious Ventures led the round, with participation from existing investors Eclipse and Energy Impact Partners. The total funding now stands at $75 million, following a $24 million seed round six months ago when the company emerged from stealth with a driverless electric truck.

Founder and CEO Eyal Cohen believes that short, repetitive freight moves, such as port drayage and plant-to-warehouse shuttles, are more suitable for autonomous, electric trucks than long, open highway routes. The new funding will cover customer pilots, testing, early manufacturing, and the development of a modular platform for Humble's fleet of vehicles.

Humble plans to sell the haulers to third-party operators, targeting regional routes under 250 miles, which constitute 87% of U.S. truck tonnage. Shipments under 100 miles account for 44% of those moves. Cohen emphasizes that short distances offer a more controlled environment for autonomous operation, with nearby depots and engineering resources available for troubleshooting.

The Humble Hauler, a cab-free truck, is 20% lighter than a traditional tractor and trailer, allowing for increased payload and reduced cost per mile. The truck's standard configuration handles 40-foot international and 53-foot domestic containers, equipped with a 360-degree sensor suite for navigation. So far, no customers have been named, but Humble aims to launch customer pilots within the next 12 months.