Kodiak Begins Hauling Freight Autonomously With Roehl Transport

Kodiak AI, Inc. and Roehl Transport announced the launch of an autonomous freight service, beginning in April 2026. The trucks, equipped with Kodiak’s autonomous system called the Kodiak Driver, will operate four times per week between Dallas and Houston for Roehl Transport, one of America’s leading truckload carriers. The collaboration highlights a shared focus on safety, with Roehl Transport recognized as one of North America’s safest trucking companies by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Kodiak’s autonomous technology is designed to address human error, which causes over 85% of truck crashes in the U.S., according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data. The Kodiak Driver achieved a VERA safety score of 98 out of 100 in October 2025, tied for the highest recorded score in an independent evaluation by Nauto. Kodiak continues to expand its autonomous operations, already deploying 20 self-driving trucks for Atlas Energy Solutions in West Texas’s Permian Basin. The company aims to launch driverless operations by the end of 2026, with current freight routes extending between Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and El Paso. Don Burnette, Kodiak’s Founder and CEO, emphasized the partnership’s commitment to safety and efficiency, while Rick Roehl, CEO of Roehl Transport, noted the alignment of values between the two companies. The U.S. Department of Transportation reported 5,472 deaths in heavy-duty truck crashes in 2023, underscoring the potential impact of autonomous technology on road safety.