San Francisco-based Humble announced its debut in the autonomous vehicle industry today, securing a $24 million seed round led by Eclipse and Energy Impact Partners. The company unveiled the Humble Hauler, a fully electric, cabless autonomous freight vehicle designed to transport 40-foot and 53-foot shipping containers dock-to-dock.
Redefining Freight Efficiency
Unlike competitors such as Aurora and Kodiak, Humble’s model eliminates the need for human drivers at any stage, including last-mile delivery. By removing the cab, the Hauler achieves 360-degree sensor coverage and increased payload capacity. CEO Eyal Cohen, who previously worked on Otto—the first autonomous freight delivery system—emphasized the company’s focus on rethinking vehicle design for autonomy.
‘Trucks were never designed to be autonomous. Removing the cab allows us to rethink the whole vehicle for an autonomous future,’ Cohen said.
Market Potential and Federal Support
The U.S. truck freight industry, valued at $906 billion, represents a significant opportunity for Humble. The autonomous freight segment is projected to grow from $575.7 million in 2026 to $3.25 billion by 2035. Federal tailwinds, including the proposed Self Drive Act of 2026, aim to establish a unified framework for autonomous trucking, potentially accelerating adoption.
Humble’s CEO recently met with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has been involved with the company since its early development stages. Partner Jiten Behl noted that scaling and deploying the Hauler will require significantly less capital than competing ventures, emphasizing the potential for 30-50% efficiency gains in logistics operations.