Autonomous Truckport Opens in Georgia for Kodiak Drivers

Kodiak Robotics and Pilot Company have teamed to open an autonomous truck port in Georgia as a hub for Kodiak’s drivers. 

Located at the Pilot travel center in Villa Rica, Georgia, the new port is set to be used to launch and land Kodiak’s autonomous trucks, acting as an eastern satellite hub for the company’s 18,000-mile-long autonomous deployment network.

Services at the truckport will include refueling at the Pilot Travel Center, light maintenance and pre-trip inspections, including enhanced Inspections specifically designed for self-driving trucks.

"Partnering with Pilot Company to build the Villa Rica truckport ensures that we have access to the truckport services we need, utilizing Pilot's industry-leading travel center network," said Don Burnette, Kodiak Robotics’ CEO. "This partnership, combined with Kodiak's flexible technology stack, enables our scalable, asset-light approach to building our truckport network. 

“The freight lane between Dallas and Atlanta is critical to the nation's supply chain and economy, and this truckport enables us to refine our operations model as we continue to grow."

The project will be used as a blueprint for potential future truck ports, depending on its success.

Brandon Trama, Pilot Company’s director of strategy, said the partnership helps support new technologies such as those for autonomous trucks.

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"Working with Kodiak aligns with our emphasis on improving the quality of life for professional drivers,” said Trama. “Autonomous trucks focus on the long, repeatable highway miles, leaving the more enticing local, first- and last-mile deliveries for professional drivers who can stay closer to home."