Kodiak, Werner announce agreement
Add another name to the list of large carriers dipping their toes in the autonomous trucking water.
Kodiak Robotics Inc. announced an agreement on Sept. 29 with Omaha, Neb.-based Werner Enterprises to operate a 24/7 long-haul autonomous trucking lane. Kodiak says the goal of the collaboration is “to showcase how efficiently autonomous trucks can be used with a transfer hub model at truckports.”
Kodiak’s transfer hub model is fairly straightforward. The company’s trucks – accompanied by a human safety driver at all times – transport freight autonomously along the highway portion of a designated corridor. The Kodiak truck takes the load to a truckport located along the route, where the trailer is dropped off and another is picked up.
From there, a local company driver picks up the original trailer and delivers it to its final destination. These local drivers are also responsible for getting loads from shippers to the truckports for the Kodiak trucks to pick up. According to Kodiak, the truckport model maximizes the amount of time the truck spends in self-driving mode.
In August, Werner began a weeklong pilot program with the Mountainview, Calif.-based self-driving truck firm. A Kodiak truck completed four tours involving eight unique trips between Dallas and Lake City, Fla. A total of 152 hours of driving time were completed during the one-week pilot with 100% on-time delivery performance.
Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, said the relationship with Werner could result in more autonomous trucking lanes.
“Werner’s vision for incorporating autonomous trucks into their future operations demonstrates a fundamental understanding of where autonomous technology fits within the trucking industry,” Burnette said. “The Kodiak Driver is designed to do the often-undesirable highway portions of long-haul routes, allowing drivers to handle the deliveries that let them sleep in their own beds at night.”
Founded in 2018, Kodiak Robotics delivers freight for its customers along six routes in Texas and Oklahoma. In addition to Werner, the company has partnerships with U.S. Xpress, 10 Road Express and CEVA Logistics. LL
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