Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a self-driving truck technology company, has announced a new partnership with truckload carrier C.R. England, Inc.to support the autonomous shipment of Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio, Texas.
Deliveries have started using Kodiak self-driving trucks and C.R. England’s refrigerated trailers, with safety drivers occupying the trucks for the first phases the pilot.
What’s more, Kodiak claims that its testing process shows how its self-driving trucks can provide increased safety and reliability an industry that is currently short of drivers.
“Tyson Foods is pursuing the leading edge of technology in all aspects of our business, especially in transportation,” said Patrick Simmons, VP of transportation at Tyson Foods.
“Autonomous trucks are just one piece of the puzzle in this innovation journey to use technology to operate more efficiently and to help ensure our transportation loads are delivered in a timely fashion.”
The partnership will also see C.R. England join Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and supports the integration of Kodiak’s self-driving system into fleets.
Some of the key benefits of the autonomous technology include improved safety, reduced fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions, according to Kodiak.
“One of the categories where C.R. England is a leader is in perishable foods, which require the safest, most reliable, on-time delivery possible,” said Chad England, CEO, C.R. England.
“Kodiak’s proven performance and commitment to customer success makes it a great partner to help us introduce autonomous service into our operations. Working with Kodiak enables us to better understand how autonomous vehicles fit into our fleet of the future, while continuing to deliver high quality service and value to great customers like Tyson.
“By employing self-driving trucks, we can increase capacity and expedite deliveries without sacrificing customer service, as our valued drivers will take over to interface with customers and consignees at either end of the load. Our intent is to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for customers, whether they need their freight moved autonomously or not.”
C.R. England specialises in the transportation of time-critical, perishable freight. Tyson Foods, which supplies protein products, offers a suitable use case for autonomous freight movement based on its perishable food supply chain needs.
