Kodiak Robotics, a developer of self-driving technologies for long-haul trucking, has started making its first commercial deliveries on ‘middle-mile’ highway routes in Texas. The trucks are currently being operated with a safety driver present.
Founded in April 2018, the company also announced that it will be supporting its growing testing and freight operations from a new facility in North Texas.
“We could not be more excited to announce our expansion into Texas, with an office in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area,” said Don Burnette, CEO and co-founder of Kodiak Robotics. “In just over a year, we’ve gone from founding Kodiak to putting our trucks on the road and hauling freight for customers. Making such rapid progress wouldn’t be possible without our strong, experienced team, who’ve been working with autonomous vehicles since the early days of the industry. As industry veterans, we’ve seen where self-driving technology has fallen short, and have a clear vision for how to make it work – and work safely.”
Kodiak’s self-driving trucks aim to make highways safer, while reducing the cost of carrying freight and, for longer routes, the time it takes to move goods.
Paz Eshel, chief operations officer and co-founder of Kodiak Robotics, added, “We are thrilled by the reception we’ve received from all Texans. From Governor Abbott to the Department of Public Safety to the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, we’ve received nothing but support. We look forward to continuing to build meaningful community partnerships in Texas and helping to make sure that Texas is the home of autonomous trucking.”