Pilot Co. partnered with self-driving trucking company Kodiak Robotics, and together they will develop autonomous truck services at Pilot and Flying J travel centers.
Pilot Co. and Kodiak are in the process of creating an autonomous truckport in the Atlanta area to evaluate potential service offerings and explore scalable solutions. These services will include spaces to pick up and drop off autonomous trucking loads; conduct inspections; maintain and refuel trucks; and transfer data for processing, such as feature development and mapping. To strengthen the ability to work together to develop a solution that works best for its customers, Pilot Co. has made a strategic investment in Kodiak and will join the company’s board of directors.
“Pilot Co. is committed to providing best in class service to its customers today and going forward,” said John Tully, vice president of strategy and business development at Pilot Co. “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.”
Combining Pilot Co.’s 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 expertise as Pilot Co. 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 Co.’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,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics. “Their customer first approach, with a focus on technology, scale and infrastructure, makes Pilot Co. an ideal partner to support the service and maintenance of self-driving trucks nationwide. We are honored to have Pilot Co. 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 U.S. Postal Service, expanding the company’s service to Florida. Earlier this year, Kodiak announced a new route between Dallas and Oklahoma City with CEVA Logistics and a route between Dallas and Atlanta with U.S. Xpress. The company has been delivering freight commercially since 2019 and currently has six routes that run regularly between Dallas and Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Jacksonville, Florida.
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Pilot Co. has grown its network to more than 800 retail and fueling locations and supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market. Pilot Co. has the fourth-largest tanker fleet with more than 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 states and six Canadian provinces and offers truck maintenance and tire service with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J. The One9 Fuel Network connects a variety of fueling locations to provide smaller fleets and independent professional drivers with everyday value, convenience, credit and perks.
