Kodiak AI and DTL Transport sign first binding deal to deploy 75 driverless trucks
Kodiak AI has landed what it calls the first publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to run driverless trucks in its own fleet, with DTL Transport paying by the mile.
- 75
- 225 miles
- 35
- 100 trucks
What Happened
Under the agreement, DTL Transport will put the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak's autonomous driving system, into 75 driverless trucks that DTL owns and operates, and will pay a per-mile fee for using it. Kodiak describes the deal as the first-ever publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to operate driverless trucks within its own fleet as part of the Driver-As-a-Service business model. DTL is a California long-haul freight company based in Fresno with a fleet of more than 100 trucks and more than 36 years in business. It specializes in cross-country team runs and hauls produce for several of the nation's largest grocers. Kodiak says the agreement comes as the logistics industry considers autonomy a catalyst for expanding business opportunities, enhancing supply-chain reliability and improving safety.
“This represents a major new chapter in the central role Physical AI now plays in strengthening the U.S. supply chain. This binding agreement reinforces what I have said from the beginning: The Driver-As-a-Service business model is tailor-made for commercial trucking. Kodiak is executing on that vision and we are thrilled to continue growing our relationship with DTL.”
The agreement followed a September pilot in which the Kodiak Driver autonomously hauled perishable goods for DTL 225 miles along the I-5 and CA-99 freight corridors between Fresno, California and Los Angeles. Kodiak says those were the first commercial goods ever autonomously hauled by a Class 8 truck in the state. The deliveries took place under Kodiak's new heavy-duty Autonomous Vehicle Testing permit, granted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this summer.
Kodiak launches a Driver-As-a-Service offering in an industrial application, which it describes as an industry first.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles grants Kodiak a new heavy-duty Autonomous Vehicle Testing permit.
Kodiak and DTL complete a pilot that autonomously hauled perishable goods 225 miles between Fresno and Los Angeles along I-5 and CA-99.
Kodiak plans to launch driverless highway service carrying goods for IKEA on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.
Kodiak has committed to growing the Atlas Energy Solutions fleet to 100 trucks.
- Interstate 10 between Dallas and El Paso, Texas
- Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta
- Both are routes on which Kodiak has already conducted testing
- Kodiak says the routes let DTL operate beyond current service-hour limitations
- Additional lanes will be added over time
- 35 driverless trucks
- 100 trucks
- 75 driverless trucks
“Working with Kodiak underscores our commitment to affirming our leadership position in the industry. By integrating this technology into our fleet, complementing our experienced, professional workforce, we can expand capacity, enhance safety and drive innovation forward.”
Previously from Kodiak Robotics, Inc.
Kodiak has spent 2026 building toward a driverless long-haul launch. In early October the company said its Autonomy Readiness Measure for driverless long-haul operations reached 96% at the end of September, up from 93% a month earlier, as it targets a driverless long-haul launch by the end of 2026. It had also begun autonomous freight runs between Dallas and Laredo, Texas, with a safety driver on board and driverless operations planned once its safety case is complete, while an unsupervised Kodiak truck ran 64 consecutive days without a power-off or restart in West Texas.
- Kodiak's autonomy readiness hits 96% as it targets driverless long-haul launch by end of 2026
- Kodiak AI and Charger USA start autonomous trucking on 435-mile Dallas-Laredo lane
- Kodiak Driver runs 64 straight days without a restart, setting an uptime record for driverless trucks
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Kodiak Robotics, Inc.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The deal attaches a per-mile fee to driverless trucking for a carrier that hauls produce for some of the nation's largest grocers, testing whether autonomy can expand freight capacity and supply-chain reliability. It affects DTL's experienced workforce and dispatch operation, rival long-haul carriers weighing the same move, and shippers served by Sun Belt routes.
Terms in This Story
- Driver-As-a-Service (DAAS)
- A business model in which a carrier pays a per-mile fee to use an autonomous driving system rather than buying and running the technology itself.
- Class 8 truck
- The heaviest class of highway freight truck, typically the tractor of a long-haul tractor-trailer combination.
- Physical AI
- A term for artificial intelligence built to control machines that move and act in the physical world, such as vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.