Kodiak, Ikea Companion on Autonomous Freight Supply Pilot

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Kodiak Robotics Inc. has began piloting autonomous freight deliveries in Texas in cooperation with Ikea Provide Chain Operations, the businesses introduced Oct. 18.

Ikea merchandise shall be transported seven days per week utilizing an autonomous heavy-duty truck.

The route will run between the Ikea Distribution Heart in Baytown and the Ikea Retailer in Frisco. The cooperation between the businesses started Aug. 8.

“Ikea and Kodiak share a dedication to placing security first,” Kodiak CEO Don Burnette mentioned. “Collectively we are able to improve security, enhance working circumstances for drivers, and create a extra sustainable freight transportation system.”

Kodiak mentioned the primary function of operating the route is to get a greater understanding of how its autonomous driving expertise contributes to elevated highway security and higher working circumstances for truck drivers on the longer distances. The driverless truck has knowledgeable security driver behind the wheel who picks up a loaded trailer on the distribution heart every morning and oversees the autonomous supply to the shop by late afternoon.

“Adopting autonomous trucking expertise can enhance drivers’ high quality of life by specializing in the native driving jobs most favor to do,” Burnette mentioned. “We stay up for working with the Ikea service companions to carry these advantages to the Ikea provide chain.”

Kodiak mentioned it’s in a position to leverage its built-for-scale resolution to quickly and safely add new lanes. These embrace the not too long ago introduced launch of business operations between Dallas and Oklahoma Metropolis and repair between Dallas and Atlanta. Kodiak has been delivering freight each day between Dallas and Houston since mid-2019, and delivering freight between Dallas and San Antonio since mid-2021.

Ikea’s Baytown distribution heart. (Google Maps)

“We’re proud to be working with Kodiak to realize our bold objectives of being on the forefront of innovation and constructing capabilities for future transportation,” mentioned Dariusz Mroczek, class space transport supervisor at Ikea Provide Chain Operations. “Kodiak’s expertise will contribute towards our goal to place the motive force in focus within the transition towards automated transportation and towards our highway security agenda.”

Kodiak has been growing autonomous expertise since its founding in 2018. Its fundamental focus has been longhaul trucking operations. Its modular {hardware} strategy integrates sensors right into a streamlined sensor-pod construction that optimizes for notion, scalability and maintainability.

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