50,000 Autonomous Long-Haul Trucking Miles for Kodiak, J.B. Hunt – Fleet Management

A weekly delivery collaboration has surpassed 50,000 autonomous long-haul trucking miles, with J.B. Hunt Transport Services using Kodiak Robotics trucks to transport Bridgestone passenger-car tires between South Carolina and Dallas.

Since launching in January, the autonomous route has been driven with no accidents and achieved 100% on-time pick-up and delivery, according to a news release, and the companies have expanded the collaboration to include additional weekly deliveries along the route.

Using Kodiak’s hub-to-hub autonomous delivery model, the long-haul stretch of the route from Atlanta to Dallas — approximately 750 miles and 16 hours — is completed using Kodiak autonomous driving technology.

J.B. Hunt transports the trailers to and from Bridgestone facilities and Kodiak hubs.

The companies leverage J.B. Hunt 360box, a network of 14,000-plus company trailers, to secure capacity for the return trip from Dallas, preventing empty miles and improving route efficiency.

The trucks are fitted with Bridgestone M719 drive tires and R213 steer tires.

“Working closely with Kodiak and Bridgestone, we were able to deliver a complementary solution that integrates autonomous technology with day-to-day operations while also solving backhaul challenges,” said Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of contract services at J.B. Hunt.

“It’s a great example of how our mode-neutral approach can leverage multiple service offerings to produce efficient, value-driven solutions unique to our customers’ needs.”

How J.B. Hunt’s Autonomous-Truck Round Trip Works

J.B. Hunt moves the load from Bridgestone’s Aiken Passenger Tire plant in Graniteville, South Carolina, to Kodiak’s Atlanta-area autonomous truckport in Villa Rica, Georgia.

Kodiak autonomous trucks complete the long-haul stretch of the route from Atlanta to Kodiak’s Lancaster, Texas, facility. A two-person-team of Kodiak safety drivers oversee the continuous operation of the autonomous truck.

J.B. Hunt transports the load approximately 50 miles from Lancaster to Bridgestone’s Roanoke distribution center.

For the trip from Dallas to Atlanta, J.B. Hunt leverages its J.B. Hunt 360box program to identify additional customers with live and drop freight needs along that route.

Kodiak completes the delivery autonomously to Atlanta, and then J.B. Hunt transports the load to its next destination.

“As part of our evolution into a global leader in sustainable mobility solutions, Bridgestone joined forces with Kodiak and J.B. Hunt to prove that autonomous long-haul shipping is more than just a daydream; it’s happening right now,” said Brad Blizzard, Bridgestone VP of logistics operations and product delivery.

Don Burnette, Kodiak founder and CEO, added, “Demonstrating the efficacy of our middle mile model and improving operational efficiencies for our customers sets us all on a course for rapid and sustainable growth.”

More About J.B. Hunt’s Autonomous-Delivery Collaboration with Kodiak and Bridgestone

Kodiak Robotics was founded in 2018 and is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) powered technology stack purpose-built for driverless military and long-haul trucking applications.

Kodiak’s modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability.

The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the South, using its autonomous technology.

Bridgestone announced an investment in and partnership with Kodiak in June 2021.

As part of the partnership, Bridgestone has integrated its smart-sensing tire technologies into Kodiak’s autonomous trucks and have integrated smart tire technologies to enhance vehicle intelligence for safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Bridgestone is also Kodiak’s exclusive tire supplier.

J.B. Hunt provides Bridgestone, a Dedicated Contract Services customer, with pickup and delivery services for multiple customer locations throughout the country.