Pilot Travel Centers LLC, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, has partnered with Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving (autonomous) trucking company. Pilot has invested in Kodiak, and will join its Board of Directors.
The two companies are looking to develop autonomous truck services at Pilot and Flying J travel centers.
Both Pilot and Kodiak are already creating a test autonomous truckport in the Atlanta area as a means to evaluate potential service offerings and possible scalable solutions.
These services will include:
- Spaces to pick up and drop off autonomous trucking loads;
- Inspection areas;
- Maintenance and Refueling areas;
- Ability to transfer data for processing, such as feature development and mapping.
"Pilot Company is committed to providing best-in-class service to its customers today and going forward," explained John Tully, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Pilot Company.
He continued: "In making this strategic investment, we understand that our customers have a need for real solutions that help address the growing demand to move goods and Kodiak is a strong leader in the autonomous trucking space. As we explore the future of autonomous trucks and how we can best support these customers, we will continue to be the travel center network that the trucking industry and professional drivers can count on for the services and care they need."
The Pilot Company believes that combining its nationwide network of travel centers and services with Kodiak's technology will play a crucial role in the deployment of autonomous trucks.
Kodiak will lend its robotics expertise as Pilot Company looks to integrate autonomous truck services into its operations.
The partnership will further define service and maintenance requirements, operational necessities, facilities planning, and more to meet the needs of autonomous trucks.
"Pilot Company's industry-leading network of highway-adjacent travel centers provides unprecedented geographic reach for the launch and scale of Kodiak's fast-growing network of autonomous trucking lanes," stated Don Burnette, founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Kodiak. "Their customer-first approach, with a focus on technology, scale, and infrastructure, makes Pilot Company an ideal partner to support the service and maintenance of self-driving trucks nationwide. We are honored to have Pilot Company as an investor, strategic partner, and supporter of our continued commercial footprint growth."
Kodiak entered a hyper-growth phase in 2022, significantly expanding its service footprint and partner network. In July, the company announced a partnership with 10 Roads Express, a provider of time-sensitive surface transportation for the US Postal Service, expanding the company's service to Florida.
Earlier in 2022, Kodiak announced a new route between Dallas and Oklahoma City with CEVA Logistics, and a route between Dallas and Atlanta via U.S. Xpress.
Kodiak has been delivering commercial freight since 2019, with six routes between Dallas and Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, and Jacksonville, Florida.
Kodiak was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight. Its modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability. Company information is available at www.kodiak.ai.
The Pilot Company is a leading supplier of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers in North America. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, the company has over 800 retail and fueling locations and supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market. The company has the fourth-largest tanker fleet with over 1,600 trucks that supply DEF, bio, and renewable fuels, and provides hauling and disposal services to the oil field sector. Its Pilot and Flying J travel center network includes over 750 locations in 44 American states and six Canadian provinces with more than 790 restaurants, 75,000 truck parking spaces, 5,300 deluxe showers, 6,200 diesel lanes and offers truck maintenance and tire service with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J. Its One9 Fuel Network connects a variety of fueling locations to provide smaller fleets and independent professional drivers with everyday value, convenience, credit, and perks. Information on the Pilot Company may be found at www.pilotcompany.com.