Kodiak AI, Inc., a company that develops autonomous driving technologies using physical AI, has established a strategic partnership with Charger USA, an intermodal freight transport service operating in the US and Mexico, to begin its autonomous freight transport operations in Texas.
As part of the deal, heavy-duty trucks with the Kodiak Driver technology developed by Kodiak are engaged in the transportation of refrigerated and dry vans with consumer packaged goods and food and beverages. The trucks are operating on a 435 miles route from Charger logistics centers located in Dallas and Laredo, Texas, with the first commercial run taking place on September 8, 2026.
While operations currently utilize a safety driver in the cab, the companies plan to transition the route to fully driverless operations following the completion of Kodiak’s safety case framework. A safety case represents an evidence-backed validation structure demonstrating that the autonomous system operates safely within its designated Operational Design Domain (ODD).
Expanding Autonomous Freight Infrastructure to the U.S.–Mexico Border
The partnership will bring the autonomous shipping technology of Kodiak to Laredo, which is the most heavily used land port of entry in the United States. In 2025, the Port of Laredo handled more than $350 billion worth of international trade, representing almost 40% of all business land trade between the United States and Mexico.
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With the constant and reliable demand of consumer packaged goods and food logistics that depend on rigid replenishment cycles, autonomous freight shipping provides higher operational availability, consistent shipping schedule, and consistent usage of the fleet.
“Autonomy lets us build a network that serves both our customers and our drivers,” said Andy Khera, President, Charger USA. “Combining our in-house TMS, managed transportation, and the Kodiak Driver creates a nearly fully automated ecosystem that gives our customers long-term capacity continuity through changing labor markets and freight demand, while bringing our drivers home every night.”
“Charger came to us knowing what they wanted from autonomy and what they need to see before scaling it,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. “That clarity makes for a strong collaboration. The Dallas–Laredo lane extends the Kodiak Driver into a new corridor, and gives both companies the operating foundation we need to scale driverless service.”
Driver-as-a-Service Commercial Deployment and Scaling Roadmap
As an asset-based carrier operating across North America, Charger plans to scale the deployment of the Kodiak Driver across additional lanes within its broader transportation network as it integrates autonomous vehicles directly into its fleet.
Kodiak commercializes its platform via a Driver-as-a-Service business model, enabling commercial fleet operators to integrate autonomous software and hardware onto customer-owned vehicles. Kodiak’s driverless operations have been running commercially in the Permian Basin since December 2024, where customer fleets operate fully uncrewed in industrial environments.
The company remains on schedule to launch commercial long-haul driverless operations by the end of 2026. Kodiak’s long-haul Autonomy Readiness Measure-a quantitative index tracking completed safety case evidence and claims-reached 96% completion at the end of September 2026.
