Self-Driving Truck Service Expands to Florida

Kodiak Robotics has deployed a mapping solution to bring new routes for its AVs online

Self-driving truck service expands to Florida
Kodiak Robotics has deployed a mapping solution that brings online new routes for its AVs
Autonomous truck startup Kodiak Robotics is expanding its autonomous services to Florida in partnership with 10 Roads Express, a carrier for the U.S. Post.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company recently completed a 5,600-mile coast-to-coast trip that took it through San Antonio, San Francisco, and Jacksonville before returning to San Antonio.

According to Kodiak, the route consisted of four commercial deliveries and was completed in 114 hours. Using what he calls a “lightweight mapping solution,” Kodiak mapped 5,400 new miles in one mapping run to bring the new route online.

Kodiak said he can easily switch to new routes. “Our unique lightweight mapping system allows us to expand into Florida in a fraction of the time it takes to create traditional AV maps, allowing us to serve some of the busiest coast-to-coast freight routes,” said CEO Don Burnett. “This expansion further demonstrates the scalability and flexibility of our Kodiak autonomous controller.”

The self-driving truck was tested by a human safety driver and also faced a roadblock in California, where testing of autonomous trucks is prohibited. It is understood that only driver assistance technology is used in the state.

Kodiak was founded in 2018 with a focus on developing a technology stack designed for long-haul trucks. The modular hardware integrates the sensors into an efficient sensor pod, and the company quickly demonstrated the technology’s viability, delivering cargo daily on four routes in Texas and Oklahoma that operate autonomously.