Robotic technology company Kodiak Robotics and energy solutions provider Atlas Energy Solutions have complete an autonomous trucking initiative with the delivery of 100 loads of proppant using Atlas’s two customer-owned, autonomous RoboTrucks.
The trucks, which are equipped with Kodiak’s self-driving system, the Kodiak Driver, are the first commercial semi-trucks to operate without drivers in regular service.
The news comes after Kodiak initially provided driverless trucking services for Atlas in July 2024, using its own fleet of autonomous trucks to deliver frac sand along a 21-mile off-road route in the Permian Basin.
Now, with Atlas taking ownership of the RoboTrucks, the company is able to expand its autonomous operations across the vast 75,000-square-mile Permian Basin, covering parts of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico.
The achievement underscores Kodiak’s leadership in the autonomous trucking sector, becoming the first company to launch a fully commercial driverless trucking operation.
Kodiak’s self-driving technology is now facilitating Atlas’s deliveries, helping the company scale its operations within the environment of the Permian Basin.
In addition to the autonomous truck milestone, Atlas has also launched the Dune Express, a 42-mile fully electric conveyor system designed to transport sand from its Kermit, Texas sand facility to a load-out facility in New Mexico.
The sand transported via the Dune Express will be moved to customers by Atlas’s autonomous RoboTrucks, supporting the company’s broader strategy to automate its entire supply chain. This initiative is expected to reduce truck miles on public roads, alleviating traffic and enhancing safety in the region.
Atlas plans to expand its fleet of autonomous RoboTrucks significantly throughout 2025. To support these operations, Kodiak has opened an office in Odessa, Texas, to provide operational and technical support.
The new office will house a growing team of Kodiak employees as part of its efforts to scale its autonomous trucking services in the region.
Prior to launching the autonomous operations for Atlas, Kodiak completed a comprehensive safety evaluation to ensure the readiness of its self-driving technology for Atlas’s operating conditions.
The world’s first customer-owned driverless RoboTrucks were delivered to Atlas in December 2024, with service commencing later that month.
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