One of about 25 autonomous trucks developed by Kodiak Robotics which is partnering with CEVA … [+]
Kodiak Robotics image
CEVA Logistics is working with Kodiak Robotics Inc., a developer of self-driving trucks, to deliver freight autonomously on routes from Dallas-Fort Worth to Austin and from Dallas-Fort Worth to Oklahoma City.
Kodiak Robotics has been delivering freight between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston since mid-2019. Since mid-2021, it also has operated weekly shipments between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.
CEVA and Kodiak launched its Dallas-Fort Worth to Austion service in November 2021. They expanded last month with a new route between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City on the I-35 corridor. This route runs 200 miles between a CEVA facility in Dallas and the delivery point in Oklahoma City. On both routes, a Kodiak autonomous tractor pulls a CEVA trailer filled with consumer products.
“CEVA is committed to working with leading automation and robotics suppliers to unlock value for our customers’ supply chain operations,” said Shawn Stewart, president of North America for CEVA, in a statement. “Kodiak will deliver more business value to our customers, especially in light of the current supply chain crisis and the ongoing driver shortage.”
Based in Mountain View, Calif., Kodiak was founded in 2018 by Don Burnette and venture capitalist Pax Eshel.
Last November, the company announced that it raised $125 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total fundraising to $165 million.
That money enabled Kodia to double its headcount to about 170 employees, expand services like the ones with CEVA and add at least 15 new trucks to what was then a fleet of 10 autonomous trucks.
Last September, Kodiak unveiled the fourth generation of its autonomous truck. A key feature is the use of a modular sensor approach to simplify installation and maintenance.
In May 2021, the company announced a partnership with SK Inc., a holding company of South Korea’s SK Group.
Tire manufacturer Bridgestone Americas is also a minority investor in Kodiak, which plans to integrate Bridgestone’s sensor-loaded “smart” tires in its trucks.
