Kodiac Puts Driverless Technology Into Atlas Trucks

Kodiak Robotics Inc. announced today that it will equip new high-capacity trucks from Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. with its autonomous technology. Under this partnership, Kodiak will provide its technology through a driver-as-a-service licensing agreement.

The companies have already completed their first driverless delivery in the Permian Basin of West Texas. During the 21-mile delivery, a Kodiak-equipped vehicle transported high-quality frac sand from an Atlas depot to a wellsite without anyone inside the cab.

Along with the agreement, Atlas has placed an order for Kodiak-equipped driverless trucks to deliver frac sand across the Permian Basin’s existing network of private lease roads. Early next year, Atlas plans to commence commercial operations using its first two trucks equipped with the Kodiak Driver.

Image: Kodiak and Atlas have already completed their first driverless delivery of frac sand in West Texas. Source: Kodiak Robotics.

“Our partnership with Atlas will make us the first autonomous semi-truck company to establish commercial driverless operations, and the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business. We look forward to scaling our trucking product not only in the Permian Basin but also over the road.”

Founded in 2018 by industry veterans, Kodiak designs systems for autonomous movement. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company completed its first commercial delivery in 2019 and has been progressing toward driverless deliveries since then.

Earlier this year, Kodiak introduced its sixth-generation, driverless-ready semi-truck. Designed for scaled deployment, this self-driving truck builds on five years of real-world testing, which included carrying 5,000 loads over more than 2.5 million miles.