Kodiak AI said on 28 October that DTL Transport had signed a binding agreement to equip 75 driverless trucks with its autonomous driving system. DTL will own and operate the vehicles, paying a per-mile fee for the Kodiak Driver.[1]
The arrangement makes autonomy a service purchased by the carrier. Kodiak supplies the driving technology while DTL retains the fleet operation. Neither the per-mile price nor a start date for the DTL deployment was disclosed.[1]
The planned routes connect Dallas with El Paso and Atlanta, following corridors Kodiak says it has already tested. The announcement describes a fleet commitment, with deployment still ahead.[1]
The pilot behind the agreement
The companies began their California pilot on 22 September, hauling perishable freight roughly 225 miles from Fresno to a Los Angeles distribution centre. Their September announcement explicitly retained a human safety driver behind the wheel.[2]
That work used Kodiak’s heavy-duty testing permit, the first stage in California’s progression from testing with a driver to driverless testing and deployment. The new agreement changes the commercial scale and intended operating model; the earlier deliveries establish the partnership’s testing history.[2][1]
Sources & further reading
- Kodiak and DTL agree a 75-truck deployment Kodiak AI via GlobeNewswire · 28 Oct 2026 · Accessed 28 Oct 2026
- Kodiak and DTL begin California pilot Kodiak AI via GlobeNewswire · 24 Sep 2026 · Accessed 28 Oct 2026