DALLAS – Kodiak Robotics, a startup developing self-driving trucking in the long-haul trucking space, today announced it started making its first commercial deliveries with a safety driver behind the wheel. Just formed 16 months ago, Kodiak also said it will support its growing testing and freight operations from a new facility in North Texas.
The company said its self-driving trucks operate on “middle mile” highway routes, and now has a growing fleet of trucks and freight operations for customers in Texas.
Kodiak Robotics co-founders Don Burnette and Paz Eshel. Image: Business Wire
“We could not be more excited to announce our expansion into Texas, with an office in the DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth] 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 said its trucks will revolutionize the freight industry, making highways safer while reducing the cost of carrying freight and, for longer routes, the time it takes to move goods.
“We are thrilled by the reception we’ve received from all Texans,” said Paz Eshel, COO and co-founder at Kodiak Robotics. “From Governor Abbott to the Department of Public Safety to the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), 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.”
“We are excited that Kodiak Robotics will have a major presence in Texas,” said Dr. Christopher Poe, TTI assistant agency director and connected automated transportation strategy lead. “Texas is a leader in the testing and implementation of connected and automated vehicles, and Kodiak’s willingness to partner with academia and public agencies to ensure safe deployment of new technology will add significant value to our transportation system.”
Kodiak, backed by investors that include Battery Ventures, CRV, Lightspeed Ventures, and Tusk Ventures, is based in Mountain View, Calif. The company raised $40 million in Series A funding in August 2018.
