Kodiak AI and DTL Transport announced a binding agreement on October 28 to deploy Kodiak’s autonomous-driving system in 75 long-haul trucks owned and operated by DTL. Kodiak describes it as its first publicly announced definitive Driver-as-a-Service agreement with an interstate carrier.
DTL will pay a per-mile fee for the Kodiak Driver rather than buying the autonomy software outright. The planned commercial routes run along Interstate 10 between Dallas and El Paso and Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta, with additional lanes contemplated later.
The deal follows a September California pilot in which the companies moved perishable goods between Fresno and Los Angeles under a state testing permit. That pilot involved autonomous operation but does not mean the planned 75-truck service is already running.
Kodiak says it plans to begin driverless highway service by the end of 2026, initially carrying goods for IKEA between Dallas and Houston. The DTL rollout therefore depends on a forthcoming commercial launch and operational expansion across multiple routes.
The agreement is material because it moves beyond a demonstration toward a carrier-owned fleet and a recurring per-mile business model. Kodiak did not disclose the contract’s total value, deployment schedule for all 75 trucks or independent safety results for the planned routes.