Kodiac Robotics and Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. announced that the two companies have entered into an agreement to install Kodiac’s autonomous driving technology on Atlas’ new high-capacity trucks.
“Our partnership with Atlas will make us the first autonomous semi-truck company to establish commercial driverless operations, and the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business. We look forward to scaling our trucking product not only in the Permian Basin, but also on the highway.”
The two companies have now completed their first driverless delivery of frac sand in the Permian Basin of West Texas. The 21-mile delivery transported high-quality Atlas frac sand from an Atlas deposit to a well with no one in the cab.
The companies also announced that Atlas has placed an order for Kodiak-equipped autonomous trucks that will deliver frac sand over existing private lease road infrastructure in the Permian Basin. Early next year, Atlas plans to launch commercial operations using its first two trucks equipped with Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s industry-leading autonomous system.
Under the agreement, Kodiak will provide its technology to Atlas through a driver-as-a-service licensing agreement. Atlas will own the trucks, and Kodiak will provide the Kodiak Driver’s fully redundant, platform-agnostic hardware and software suite, designed for scalable driverless deployment. Kodiak will also provide operational support services, including remote monitoring from its operations center in Lancaster, Texas.
“Atlas’ partnership with Kodiak is another example of the unique culture of innovation that permeates our organization,” said John Turner, CEO of Atlas.
The hot, dry climate of the Permian Basin makes it one of the most challenging environments in the world for truck drivers. The Kodiak Driver is well equipped to handle driving in adverse conditions, including visibility-impacting dust storms and extreme heat.
“The Permian Basin’s extensive network of private lease roads, which extends across the Delaware and Midland Basins, is an ideal environment to introduce autonomous trucks to North America,” said Chris Scholla, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Atlas. “With average traffic speeds below 20 MPH on these large swaths of private roads, we can safely deliver a more reliable last-mile solution to our customers in the Permian Basin. This truly represents a step change in oilfield logistics.”
“The deployment of autonomous trucks with Atlas marks the beginning of a new era for autonomous vehicles,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak. “Our partnership with Atlas will make us the first autonomous semi-trailer company to establish autonomous commercial operations and the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business. We look forward to expanding our trucking product not only in the Permian Basin, but also on the highway.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states, including Arkansas, Missouri, and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as editor-in-chief and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, live in Carrollton, Georgia.
