Kodiak Collaborates with Roush to Upgrade Trucks for Autonomy

Big news in the world of trucking, Kodiak Robotics has teamed up with Roush Industries to bring autonomous (a.k.a. self-driving) technology to big rigs!

Kodiak, a leader in driverless truck tech, announced on June 18 that Roush, a Michigan-based company with decades of experience in mobility and engineering  will help build these smart trucks at scale.

So what’s the plan?

• Roush will set up a dedicated production line this year in Livonia, Michigan, just outside Detroit.
  
• These upgraded trucks will be delivered to Kodiak’s first major customer, Atlas Energy Solutions, which already runs some of these rigs 24/7.
  

• Atlas has even committed to buying 100 trucks, talk about confidence in the tech!
  

Why Roush?

Roush isn’t new to the game. They’ve been working in the auto industry for nearly 50 years and have experience building autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Kodiak’s CEO, Don Burnette, said that while regular factory setups can only handle one truck design, Roush can work with all kinds of shapes, sizes, and setups, making it easier to meet different customer needs.

Inside the Roush facility:

• There’s enough space to work on multiple trucks at once, which means faster production.
  
• This partnership is a huge step toward Kodiak’s goal:
  
  • Build dozens of AV trucks this year
    
  • Scale up to hundreds next year
    

Wait… Isn’t it all supposed to be driverless?

Kind of, but not completely. Kodiak’s Director of External Affairs, Daniel Goff, made it clear:

“Running a driverless fleet still takes people.”

Even though these trucks don’t have drivers in the front seat, there’s a team behind the scenes  from remote operators to support staff in places like Odessa, Texas, where Atlas has an operations hub.

Bottom line?

This partnership between Kodiak and Roush is driving the future of trucking, one autonomous rig at a time. 

At Lading Logistics, we’re keeping pace – powering smarter, tech-driven logistics solutions for a more efficient tomorrow.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and sources cited below. 

Sources: Yahoo Finance, LinkedIn, Trucking Dive