Kodiak AI and DTL Transport Reach Historic Agreement To Deploy 75 Driverless Trucks As Part of Commercial Driver-As-A-Service Rollout
DTL will own and operate the trucks, paying Kodiak a per-mile fee to use its autonomous driving system.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Kodiak AI (KDK) signed a binding agreement with DTL Transport to deploy its autonomous driving system in 75 driverless trucks. DTL will own and operate the trucks and pay Kodiak a per-mile fee under its Driver-As-A-Service model. Initial routes will connect Dallas with El Paso on Interstate 10 and Atlanta on Interstate 20; additional lanes will be added over time.
The agreement follows a September pilot that autonomously hauled perishable goods 225 miles between Fresno and Los Angeles under a California heavy-duty testing permit. Separately, Kodiak plans to launch driverless highway service carrying IKEA goods between Dallas and Houston by year-end 2026. As of June 30, 2026, its system was integrated into 35 driverless trucks owned and operated by Atlas Energy Solutions; Kodiak has committed to expanding that fleet to 100 trucks by mid-2027.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works
Positive
- Moderate pointDTL's binding 75-truck agreement adds a commercial commitment with per-mile fees payable to Kodiak.
- Moderate point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Kodiak has committed to expanding the Atlas fleet to 100 trucks by mid-2027.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.DTL deployment will begin on two interstate routes, with additional lanes to be added over time.
- Minor pointSeptember pilot completed a 225-mile autonomous haul of perishable goods for DTL in California.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Kodiak plans year-end 2026 driverless highway service carrying IKEA goods between Dallas and Houston.
- Minor pointAtlas deployment reached 35 driverless trucks as of June 30, 2026.
Negative
- None.
Details
Market move: KDK +15.89% vs previous close. 75-truck deployment agreement
On Oct 28, the day this news came out, the latest delayed price for KDK is 15.89% above the previous close. Argus tracked a peak move of +12.4% during the session. Our momentum scanner has recorded 27 alerts for this stock so far that day. The latest delayed price is $1.30. Relative volume is very high at 3.7x the average.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Gold for real-time data.
Key Figures
- Driverless trucks
- 75 trucks
- DTL-owned and operated fleet under the agreement
- Initial deployment routes
- 2 routes
- I-10 Dallas–El Paso and I-20 Dallas–Atlanta
- Pilot haul distance
- 225 miles
- DTL pilot between Fresno and Los Angeles
Previous AI Reports
-
DTL and Kodiak began a California pilot hauling perishable freight with a human safety driver.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
class 8 truck technical
full truckload technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Deal marks first-ever binding commitment by a long-haul trucking carrier
to commercially operate driverless trucks within their own fleet
DTL will utilize the Kodiak Driver on multiple interstate highway routes;
Service will begin across America’s Sun Belt region
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kodiak AI, Inc. (“Kodiak”) (Nasdaq: KDK), a leading provider of Physical AI-powered autonomous driving technology, today announced a historic agreement with DTL Transport Inc., (“DTL”) a California long-haul freight company, to deploy the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s autonomous driving system, in 75 driverless trucks owned and operated by DTL.
This agreement marks the first-ever publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to operate driverless trucks within their own fleet as part of the Driver-As-A-Service business (DAAS) model. DTL will pay a per-mile fee for using the Kodiak Driver.
DTL specializes in cross-country team runs and hauls produce for several of the nation’s largest grocers. This landmark agreement comes as the logistics industry considers autonomy as a catalyst for expanding business opportunities, enhancing supply-chain reliability and improving safety.
“This represents a major new chapter in the central role Physical AI now plays in strengthening the U.S. supply chain,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. “This binding agreement reinforces what I have said from the beginning: The Driver-As-A-Service business model is tailor-made for commercial trucking. Kodiak is executing on that vision and we are thrilled to continue growing our relationship with DTL.”
Agreement spurred by groundbreaking California pilot
In September, DTL and Kodiak completed another historic milestone. As part of a pilot program, the Kodiak Driver autonomously hauled perishable goods for DTL 225 miles along the I-5 and CA-99 freight corridors between Fresno, California and Los Angeles.
These were the first commercial goods ever autonomously hauled by a Class 8 truck in the state, and the deliveries occurred under the purview of Kodiak’s new heavy-duty Autonomous Vehicle Testing permit granted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this summer. Now the companies are embarking on a new journey.
“Working with Kodiak underscores our commitment to affirming our leadership position in the industry,” said Lucky Dosanjh, President and CEO, DTL. “By integrating this technology into our fleet, complementing our experienced, professional workforce, we can expand capacity, enhance safety and drive innovation forward.”
Driverless service begins on long-haul Sun Belt routes
DTL will deploy its Kodiak Driver-equipped driverless trucks on two routes on which Kodiak has already conducted testing, operating on Interstate 10 between Dallas and El Paso, Texas, and along Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta.
Importantly, these two routes provide DTL with the opportunity to operate beyond current service hour limitations. Additional lanes will be added over time.
Commercial work with DTL builds on Kodiak’s experience
Kodiak plans to launch driverless highway service by the end of this year, carrying goods on behalf of IKEA on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.
The company has previously achieved an industry first by launching a Driver-As-A-Service offering in an industrial application in December 2024. As of June 30, 2026, the Kodiak Driver is already integrated on 35 driverless trucks that are owned and operated by Atlas Energy Solutions. Kodiak has committed to growing the Atlas fleet to 100 trucks by mid-2027.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements including regarding Kodiak's or its management teams' expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "may," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: expectations related to Kodiak's and DTL Transport’s collaboration; expectations regarding the benefits and performance of Kodiak’s technology; Kodiak’s expectations with respect to opportunities for continued geographic expansion; Kodiak’s expectations with respect to closing its long-haul safety case and launching driverless operations on public highways in Texas by the end of 2026; and Kodiak's expectations with respect to its future performance and success. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Kodiak's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied upon by any investors as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Kodiak. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the rapid evolution of autonomous vehicle technology and flaws or errors in Kodiak’s solutions or flaws in or misuse of autonomous vehicle technology in general; risks related to the rollout of Kodiak’s business and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Kodiak’s business; supply shortages in the materials necessary for the production of the Kodiak Driver; risks related to working with third-party manufacturers for key components of the Kodiak Driver; risks related to the retrofitting of Kodiak’s vehicles by third parties; the termination or suspension of any of Kodiak’s contracts or the reduction in counterparty spending; delays in Kodiak’s operational roadmap with key partners and customers; and Kodiak’s ability to raise capital in the near term and long term. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact such forward-looking statements can be found in filings and potential filings by Kodiak with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading "Risk Factors." If any of these risks materialize or any assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Kodiak does not presently know, or that Kodiak currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Kodiak's expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date they are made. Kodiak anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Kodiak's assessments to change. However, while Kodiak may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Kodiak specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Kodiak's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date they are made.
About Kodiak AI, Inc.
Kodiak AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: KDK) is a leader in Physical AI, developing driverless technology that powers machines that move. The core of the company’s solution is the Kodiak Driver, a vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system that combines advanced AI-powered software with modular hardware. Today, the Kodiak Driver operates in the long-haul trucking, industrial trucking, and defense sectors, and is already deployed in commercial operation with no one in the cab. Kodiak AI commercializes its technology through both a Driver-as-a-Service business model and strategic partnerships. In 2024, Kodiak achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first company to deploy driverless technology in customer-owned driverless semi-trucks. Commercial partners and customers include DTL Transport, Atlas Energy Solutions, IKEA, Bridgestone, Werner Enterprises, C.R. England, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Roehl Transport.
For more information, visit kodiak.ai/investors. The Kodiak press kit, including videos and images, is available here.
About DTL Transport, Inc.
For more than 36 years, DTL Transport, Inc. has provided dependable dry and refrigerated full truckload transportation. With a fleet of more than 100 trucks, DTL has the capacity and experience and continues to serve major grocery chains, meat processors, and fresh produce customers, moving time-sensitive freight safely, efficiently, and with consistent operational focus.
Today, DTL is led by second-generation owner Lucky Dosanjh, while his son, Jovan Dosanjh, represents the third generation as head of the dispatch department. This multigenerational leadership combines hands-on service with deep transportation expertise, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the enduring values of a family-run business.
DTL is located in Fresno, CA and has a 7 acre gated yard for truck parking and space rental for owner operator or companies looking to store equipment. If you are in need of freight movement or parking, please contact our office at 800-385-0388 or visit our website www.dtltrans.com
Kodiak Media Contacts
Pete Bigelow
Public Relations Manager, Kodiak AI
+1 303-443-4441
pete.bigelow@kodiak.ai
Kylee Keskerian
PR Consultant for Kodiak AI
+1 419-822-6417
kylee@futuristacommunications.com
DTL Media Contacts
Lucky Dosanjh
CEO/ President
+1 559-289-4424
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cba368be-f596-49b2-a8b7-7bfcb60de491.
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