A.P. Moller – Maersk and Kodiak Robotics, Inc. have initiated autonomous trucking deliveries between Houston and Oklahoma City for commercial purposes.
This new freight route signifies an extension of the partnership between Kodiak and Maersk, which commenced with their initial collaborative autonomous freight deliveries in November 2022. Since August, Kodiak has been carrying out eight deliveries each week for Maersk customers, with a human safety driver present in the vehicle.
On a continuous basis, Kodiak and Maersk are now conducting four round trips per week between a Houston facility, where consumer goods are loaded onto 53-foot trailers, and a distribution center in Oklahoma City, with operations taking place 24 hours a day, four days a week.
“Teaming with Kodiak enables Maersk to stay at the forefront of innovative solutions,” said Erez Agmoni, Maersk’s global head of innovation – logistics & services. “Autonomous trucks will play an instrumental role in digitizing the supply chain. We expect self-driving trucks to ultimately become a competitive advantage for Maersk as we execute on our strategy to provide customers with a sustainable, end-to-end logistics solution across air, land and sea.”
As per a joint statement by the two companies, Maersk and Kodiak intend to further investigate potential opportunities for collaboration within Maersk’s expanding logistics network in North America.