Kodiak signs Fresno carrier DTL Transport to run 75 driverless trucks on Texas-to-Atlanta lanes
DTL will pay a per-mile fee for the Kodiak Driver and operate the trucks in its own fleet on I-10 and I-20. Kodiak calls it the first binding deal of its kind with a long-haul carrier.
Autonomous trucking company Kodiak AI has signed a binding agreement with DTL Transport, a Fresno, California, long-haul carrier, to put its self-driving system in 75 driverless trucks owned and operated by DTL. Kodiak announced the deal on Oct. 28.
Under the Driver-as-a-Service model, DTL buys the trucks' "driver" by the mile. It pays a per-mile fee to use the Kodiak Driver.
Kodiak says it is the first publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to run driverless trucks inside its own fleet.
The lanes
DTL will run the trucks on two routes where Kodiak has already tested:
- I-10 between Dallas and El Paso, Texas
- I-20 between Dallas and Atlanta
Kodiak says these routes give DTL a chance to operate beyond current hours-of-service limits. More lanes will be added over time. The release did not give a start date for the DTL trucks.
The pilot that led to it
In September, the Kodiak Driver hauled perishable goods for DTL 225 miles on I-5 and CA-99 between Fresno and Los Angeles. Kodiak says those were the first commercial goods hauled autonomously by a Class 8 truck in California. The runs took place under a heavy-duty autonomous vehicle testing permit the California DMV granted Kodiak this summer.
Who DTL is
DTL specializes in cross-country team runs and hauls produce for large grocers. It has more than 100 trucks and has been in business for more than 36 years. The company is led by president and CEO Lucky Dosanjh, who said the technology will complement DTL's professional drivers while expanding capacity.
Kodiak's other driverless work
| Customer | Status, per Kodiak | |---|---| | Atlas Energy Solutions | 35 driverless trucks as of June 30, 2026; 100 planned by mid-2027 | | IKEA | Driverless highway service on I-45, Dallas to Houston, planned by end of 2026 | | DTL Transport | 75 trucks, I-10 and I-20 |
Kodiak founder and CEO Don Burnette said the binding agreement backs his view that Driver-as-a-Service is "tailor-made for commercial trucking."