Atlas Energy Solutions is now using its own automated trucks after developing self-driving routes with Kodiak Robotics.
The energy business, which transports frac sand, has autonomously hauled over 100 loads of proppant on a private, leased road network in the Permian Basin, according to a Jan. 24 news release. That means the self-driving vehicles are now able to access a large swath of west Texas and eastern New Mexico.
The expansive, resource-rich area is where the companies made their first driverless delivery without a safety driver in May 2024.
With the initial delivery of trucks in December, Kodiak is turning from development to deployment at scale. The AV tech company launched an 18,000-square-foot facility in Odessa, Texas, to support and scale Atlas’ operations.
“The commercialization of autonomous trucks has been a goal for the industry for many years, and it has now come to fruition,” Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, said in the announcement. “Kodiak is the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business, and this is a major step towards profitability for our company.”
Kodiak has begun earning revenue through subscription sales of hardware and software, the company said on a LinkedIn post.
The shift marks a change from autonomous development to a fully deployed product, Kodiak VP Commercialization & GM Transportation Sector Michael Wiesinger said on a podcast at CES with the nonprofit coalition Partners for Automated Vehicle Education.
By deploying the technology in 24/7 environments, the company is also showing how it can balance drivers’ preferences for more local routes with an AV that handles dirty and dangerous environments in a safe manner, Chief Legal and Policy Officer Jordan Coleman said on another segment of the show, known as PAVEcast.
Kodiak made its first delivery with its technology and a safety driver onboard in 2019. It’s also been working to finalize its safety case for going driverless on public roads without people in the cab.
