Covenant Logistics has hired a Waabi executive as its next COO, the company announced.
Dustin Koehl, the autonomous trucking tech firm’s head of commercialization, will join Covenant effective May 13, the company said.
Koehl, 40, has worked in the trucking industry for more than 17 years, with previous stints at U.S. Xpress and Total Transportation of Mississippi, according to his LinkedIn.
“I believe Dustin’s operational and sales experience, including his 12-year tenure at Total Transportation of Mississippi, will strengthen our leadership team,” Covenant Chairman and CEO David Parker said in the announcement.
Koehl and the rest of the Covenant leadership will be tasked with driving forward business goals such as “continuing to diversify our business toward less commoditized niches,” Parker said.
Covenant’s previous COO, Sam Hough, now serves as EVP of expedited operations, according to the company’s website. Koehl will take on some operational duties from Covenant President Paul Bunn to allow Bunn to focus on his role, Bunn said in the announcement.
“I’m excited to work with Dustin and the leadership team to continue executing on our strategic initiatives,” Bunn said.
Koehl was responsible for customer adoption, transportation strategy and safety at Waabi. He is a partner with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Freight Lab, and he has served on American Trucking Association and American Transportation Research Institute committees.
Trucking companies and autonomous firms have become more intertwined as each seeks a sight line to the future of the burgeoning technology. Walmart brought in Kodiak Robotics COO James Reed as its VP of transportation development in February, and Einride hired a former Volvo executive as its general manager last year.
