Big Rigs · California · October 29, 2026

A Fresno Carrier Signs for 75 Kodiak Driverless Trucks; Truck Drivers Rank Autonomy Among Their Top Concerns

By Big Rig Daily Staff · Updated Oct 29, 2026, 8:13 a.m. PT

A Fresno, California, carrier has agreed to put Kodiak's driverless system in 75 of its own trucks. Autonomous truck developer Kodiak AI announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, an agreement with DTL Transport to deploy the Kodiak Driver in 75 trucks owned and operated by DTL, CCJ reported on Oct. 29.

What the agreement says

The deal is the first publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to run driverless trucks in its own fleet under a "Driver-as-a-Service" model, Kodiak said. 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 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 of Kodiak. Lucky Dosanjh, president and CEO of DTL, said that by adding the technology to its fleet, "complementing our experienced, professional workforce, we can expand capacity, enhance safety and drive innovation forward."

Where the trucks will run

DTL will deploy the trucks on two routes where Kodiak has already tested: Interstate 10 between Dallas and El Paso, Texas, and Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta. Kodiak noted that those routes give DTL the opportunity to operate beyond current hours-of-service limits. More lanes will be added over time.

Earlier steps

In September, DTL became Kodiak's first autonomous customer in California, after the state cleared the way for autonomous trucks to begin testing there. In a pilot, the Kodiak Driver hauled perishable goods for DTL 225 miles along the I-5 and CA-99 freight corridors between Fresno and Los Angeles. Kodiak also plans to launch driverless highway service by the end of this year, hauling goods for IKEA on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.

What truckers think

CCJ noted that truck drivers ranked "autonomous trucks" among their top 10 issues of concern for all of trucking in the most recent American Transportation Research Institute survey. The issue did not appear in the top 10 for fleet respondents.

Quick facts

• Announcement: Kodiak AI and DTL Transport, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
• Size: 75 DTL-owned trucks, with DTL paying a per-mile fee.
• Routes: I-10, Dallas to El Paso; I-20, Dallas to Atlanta.
• Not stated: a start date for the deployment.

Big Rig Daily has also covered Kodiak's 64-day uptime on I-45 in Texas and New Mexico lawmakers' look at driverless truck testing rules. Another driverless item today: NHTSA's blue-green marker light proposal. For the rules these trucks mention, see how hours-of-service rules work.

A question for readers

If driverless trucks run long lanes alongside you, what would you want to know about how they work?

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