Kodiak lands first commercial deal to supply driverless trucks for public highways

Kodiak AI has secured a binding commercial deal to supply 75 self-driving trucks to DTL Transport, marking its first major contract for driverless big rigs on public highways. The deal is expected to generate significant revenue and position Kodiak as an "asset-light" technology supplier, moving away from owning and operating trucks. The contract, announced in early 2025, comes as Kodiak prepares to launch a driverless highway service in December, operating on routes between Dallas and Houston for Ikea. DTL Transport, a midmarket trucking company, will use the trucks on multiple interstate routes, starting with Dallas to El Paso and Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta. Kodiak has already tested and operated on these routes, with founder Don Burnette emphasizing the importance of proving the technology and ensuring safety before moving to a driver-as-a-service (DaaS) model.

• Kodiak has a number of customers under a trucking-as-a-service (TaaS) model, including Charger USA, Roehl Transport, and Werner Enterprises.
• Kodiak generates revenue carrying freight daily for these companies on three active routes, but these operations are still in pilot stage.
• Kodiak plans to move to a driver-as-a-service (DaaS) model, where customers own and operate the trucks, licensing its technology by the mile.
• DTL is Kodiak’s first on-highway DaaS customer, with a pilot program in California where Kodiak autonomously hauled perishable goods for DTL along Interstate 5 and California State Route 99.
• Kodiak’s public 2025 investor presentation forecasts annual recurring revenue of $150,000 to $190,000 per truck, assuming a per-mile licensing fee of about $0.97, annual mileage of about 225,000 miles per truck, and other factors.
• The deal with DTL Transport could generate at least about $11.2 million in annual recurring revenue once all 75 trucks are delivered.

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