Kodiak and Charger launch autonomous trucks on 435‑mile Dallas‑Laredo route
Kodiak AI and Charger Logistics launched autonomous freight service on a 435‑mile lane between Dallas and Laredo, Texas, as announced Thursday. Kodiak’s long‑haul Autonomy Readiness Measure reached 96% at the end of September, up from 93% in August and 84% in February.
A safety driver remains behind the wheel for now, with the companies planning to shift to driverless operations once Kodiak completes its safety case. The inaugural run occurred on September 8, moving refrigerated and dry van freight for consumer‑packaged‑goods and food‑and‑beverage shippers between Charger’s Dallas and Laredo terminals. Laredo, the nation’s highest‑volume commercial land port, processed over $350 billion of international trade in 2025, and the lane marks Kodiak’s first autonomous route serving that gateway.
“Autonomy lets us build a network that serves both our customers and our drivers,” Andy Khera, president of Charger Logistics said.
“Charger came to us knowing what they wanted from autonomy and what they need to see before scaling it,” Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak said.
Before this launch, Kodiak’s driverless trucks had been operating in commercial service in the Permian Basin since December 2024. Charger also has an autonomous trucking agreement with Aurora Innovation for second‑generation driverless trucks on the same Dallas‑Laredo lane, a deal reported in August. Kodiak’s readiness metric had risen from 84% in February to 93% in August before reaching 96% at the end of September.
What we know
The autonomous freight service operates on a 435‑mile lane between Dallas and Laredo.
The first delivery on the lane occurred on September 8.
Kodiak’s long‑haul Autonomy Readiness Measure reached 96% at the end of September.
Kodiak plans to launch long‑haul driverless service by the end of 2026 on its Dallas‑Houston lane.
The Port of Laredo handled more than $350 billion of international trade in 2025.