Four memories from Big Blue’s first four years
Big Blue, a “Galaxy Blue” Peterbilt Model 579, is Embark’s first truck. Big Blue is also the oldest automated tractor trailer still regularly driving down the highway. Purchased in 2016 when Embark consisted of a small team in a one-truck garage in Belmont, CA, Big Blue now spends most of his time running local routes out of Embark’s San Francisco office and giving demo rides to candidates and special guests. In fact, virtually every candidate who has been through Embark’s doors has taken a demo ride in Big Blue, and it’s a big reason why so many talented people end up joining Embark! On the occasion of Big Blue’s birthday, we’re sharing four notable moments from the first four years.
#1 Beatty, Nevada
Leading up to Embark’s emergence from stealth mode, a small team took the truck to Nevada to shoot a promotional video on a closed road. In preparation for the shoot, the team spent time in nearby Beatty, Nevada, population 1,010.
Jeff S., Embark’s First Safety Driver, Hired 12/16
Being in Beatty, Nevada with Brandon [Embark’s co-founder and CTO] for two weeks as we filmed our first video really stands out. There’s not much there. Just a casino and a Denny’s, and a place with world-famous chili. We had some good times. Once people found out about the truck, people started talking about it. We were like rockstars in town.
#2 Cross Country Trip
In early 2018, the Embark team decided to drive Big Blue from San Francisco, CA, down to Los Angeles,CA and then eastward to Jacksonville, FL. This trip ended up being the first cross-country journey of an automated truck. While this test trip took five days and always had a safety driver behind the wheel, in the future a self-driving truck operating without a driver will be able to make the same trip in only two days.
Jeff S.
The cross country trip with Marty [Safety Driver] and Paul [Head of Infrastructure] was pretty funny. The truck was the talk of the town anytime we stopped somewhere. As we were leaving, Paul jumped in the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, got out and changed, then hopped into the truck. Once we got to Jacksonville, he threw on his bathing suit and jumped into the Atlantic Ocean. It was really cool. Everyone was asking me, “Did he do it? Did he do it? And I was like “yeah he really did it.”
#3 Leaving Mike Behind
Sometimes progress requires sacrifice. In this case, Embark’s COO was abandoned in Phoenix so the team could continue a productive test run.
Sami R., One of the first hires on Motion Planning & Controls Team, Hired 8/17:
One memory that immediately comes to mind was October 29, 2017. We were running freight between El Paso, TX and Ontario, CA with the goal to beat the world record of a 132 mile continuous automated truck run.
On the way, Big Blue, with Alex [CEO] and Jeff [Safety Driver] were supposed to pick up Mike [COO] from Phoenix, but when we were approaching Phoenix the truck was 200 continuous miles into the run. At that point, we had made it through Phoenix without any disengagements, so Mike was ready to get a rideshare and follow us until the driver had to disengage automated mode and intervene. But the truck passed Phoenix without issues and kept driving…and driving…. We finally had to intervene at the Arizona/California border checkpoint — over 300 miles from the start! Instead of our original plan of Mike hitching a ride, he ended up flying back to California.
Embark’s run that day ended up totaling 306 miles without intervention, over double the official world record of 132 miles. Such early success — less than a year after Big Blue’s first ever run on a public road — gave our engineers the confidence to continue building Embark into the company we are today.
#4 Nap time
Long-haul trucks with “sleeper cabs” are designed to be lived out of for days or weeks at a time, so they have fold-down beds in the back. While our newer trucks have swapped beds for additional seating to accommodate engineers or observers, Big Blue still has its bed. Especially in the early days of Embark when many of the engineers worked odd hours, the lure of the bed proved to be too much for some.
Blake C., First Perception Engineer, Hired 10/16:
My fondest memory is taking naps in the back of Big Blue. Those curtains make it so dark, it’s easy to fall asleep and take a quick nap.
Takumi K., First Mechanical Engineer, Hired 8/17:
Back when I was an intern and all the couches, beanbags, and hammocks around the office were taken, I’d sneak into Big Blue for a nap.
If you want to be part of Big Blue’s next chapter and join a pioneering team working to bring commercially viable self-driving trucks to public roads, visit our careers page and drop us a line!
