The Pulse
Kodiak Starts 435-Mile Dallas–Laredo Freight Route
Kodiak AI and Charger USA have launched a supervised autonomous trucking service between Dallas and Laredo, carrying refrigerated and dry freight. The companies say they intend to move the lane to driverless operations after Kodiak complete
AI.info Team · Written with AI ·
The Port of Laredo handled more than $350 billion in international trade in 2025, and Kodiak AI is now sending autonomous-system-equipped trucks toward the Texas border city on a 435-mile Dallas–Laredo freight lane. Kodiak and cross-border carrier Charger USA announced the service on October 8, saying the trucks carry refrigerated and dry goods for consumer packaged goods, food and beverage customers. The companies completed their first delivery on September 8.
A new route, with a driver still at the wheel
The trucks use Kodiak Driver, the company’s autonomous driving system, but the operation is not driverless: a safety driver sits behind the wheel. Kodiak and Charger say they intend to remove the driver after Kodiak completes a safety case, which the company defines as an evidence-backed argument that its system is acceptably safe to operate in a particular domain.
The distinction matters because Kodiak’s stated goal for long-haul trucking is broader than this launch. The company says it plans to start driverless long-haul service by the end of 2026. Its Autonomy Readiness Measure for long-haul operations stood at 96% at the end of September; Kodiak defines that figure as the share of claims and supporting evidence in its safety case that are materially complete. The percentage is the company’s measure of documentation progress, not a statement that the Dallas–Laredo route is ready to run without a driver.
Why Charger is sending freight to Laredo
Laredo is the highest-volume commercial land port of entry in the United States. Kodiak says the port handled nearly 40% of all U.S. trade with Mexico in 2025, making the Dallas–Laredo corridor a substantial freight route for a carrier with operations across the United States and Mexico. The new service marks Kodiak’s first route serving Laredo.
The loads include temperature-controlled freight as well as dry goods. Kodiak says food, beverage and consumer-goods shipments move in steady volumes tied to retail replenishment schedules, while predictable transit times and extended operating hours could suit autonomous trucks.
Charger’s fleet is the next test
Charger is an asset-based carrier, and the partnership is structured around Kodiak deploying its system on trucks owned and operated by customers. The companies say they expect to add other Charger routes over time as the carrier integrates Kodiak Driver into its fleet, but they do not identify additional corridors or a timetable. For now, the announced operation remains a supervised service on one lane.
“Autonomy lets us build a network that serves both our customers and our drivers,” said Andy Khera, president of Charger USA. Khera said the companies’ transportation-management system, managed transportation services and Kodiak Driver together could give customers continuity in freight capacity while bringing drivers home each night.
“Charger came to us knowing what they wanted from autonomy and what they need to see before scaling it. That clarity makes for a strong collaboration. The Dallas–Laredo lane extends the Kodiak Driver into a new corridor, and gives both companies the operating foundation we need to scale driverless service.”
Kodiak founder and CEO Don Burnette said the lane extends the system into a new corridor and gives the companies an operating foundation for scaling driverless service.