A collaboration between J.B. Hunt, the tire company Bridgestone and Kodiak Robotics has resulted in more than 50,000 autonomous long-haul trucking miles. A 750-mile stretch between Dallas and Atlanta has been the route of choice, and Kodiak says 100% of the trips have been on time without accidents. Michael Wiesinger, vice president of commercialization and general manager of the transportation sector for Kodiak, said Bridgestone is an investor in their company. When it came time to look for a transport services company, J.B. Hunt was considered one of the best in the business.
The following is an edited transcript of that conversation.
Wiesinger: Bridgestone was looking for a way to integrate an autonomous solution into their network. They wanted to explore what this looks like and what other nitty-gritty details need to be figured out. Bridgestone came to us and said, ‘Hey, I want to do this. I want to be part of this autonomous driving revolution. How can I get engaged?’ And we said, ‘Well, that's perfect. Let's pick one of the companies we're considering as a long-term partner.’ So, we picked J.B. Hunt, which is already a transportation provider to Bridgestone, and we really built this solution together.
Matthew Moore: Kodiak, as I understand it, does a lot of robotics work, not just with trucks. Trucks and transportation seem to be your area of expertise within the company. Can you tell us a little bit about how an autonomous truck even works?
Wiesinger: Yeah, there’s a lot to it. We could talk about it for several days, but I’ll give you a basic version. An autonomous truck has a few key elements. One is perception, which means perceiving the environment, seeing and understanding what’s out there, like cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians—really understanding everything going on around it. The second is planning, which involves determining the destination, the speed limit, the roadways being used, and based on this and what’s around the truck, planning how fast to go, which lane to be in, whether a lane change is necessary, and so on.
Then there's execution. That plan needs to be translated into actions that can be carried out by the truck, like actuating the throttle, brakes and steering. We call this motion control and actuation. These three things—perception, planning and execution—are the basic components that allow the truck to operate safely on the road.
Moore: As someone who drives on roads where I see long-haul trucks regularly, I imagine it might be startling for people to pass a semi and not see anyone in the driver's seat.
Wiesinger: Today, during these runs on public roads, there’s still a safety driver behind the wheel monitoring the system. So if someone looks over and sees us—and they do, because the sensor parts make the trucks look slightly different—they might be intrigued, but the safety driver can look back. It’s not yet driverless, as some people might say. We’re already operating without a driver on some private roads, and we definitely get some interesting reactions. We’re very aware of how we’re perceived because we want people to have a positive impression of us and see how conservatively the truck operates. For instance, if you’re merging onto the highway, our truck is courteous. It usually backs off instead of trying to race you. Generally, people perceive us as a very positive actor on the road.
Moore: A significant aspect of moving goods from one place to another, especially over long distances like from Dallas to Atlanta, involves dealing with various factors, such as construction or accidents. How do you ensure that you reach your destinations on time while driving conservatively?
Wiesinger: Of course, delivering goods on time is crucial. In our partnership with Bridgestone and J.B. Hunt, we’ve delivered 100% of the loads on time and picked up all loads on time as well. We plan trips ahead of time, taking into account all the data that goes into an autonomous truck, like traffic conditions and estimated arrival times, to create our route plans.
We currently drive up to 65 miles per hour, which is what most fleets are governed to—usually between 62 and 68. We’ve never had any issues where someone said we were driving too slowly. The route from Dallas to Atlanta is mostly open road driving, so there isn’t much going on. We typically just cruise at 65 miles per hour and arrive on time.
Moore: What is the objective of this collaboration for Kodiak? Are you aiming to alleviate some of the pressures from the shortage of truck drivers, make truck driving safer or something else?
Wiesinger: Safety is our top priority. Kodiak’s mission is to make roadways safer and keep people out of harm’s way. Autonomous trucks never get drowsy or distracted and always have a 360-degree view, so transportation will become safer. That’s one goal. Another is to help our customers, like J.B. Hunt, grow in long-haul lanes where it’s hard to find team drivers. Some people still enjoy that job, but the younger generation isn’t as interested in being away from their families for long periods.
We offer a solution that complements what our customers already have. For example, with J.B. Hunt, a local driver picks up the load from Bridgestone and brings it to a transfer hub. Kodiak then handles the 750-mile long-haul drive from Atlanta to Dallas, and a J.B. Hunt local driver delivers the load at the end. This setup allows drivers to have better working conditions for the local legs while our autonomous trucks handle the long hauls without needing rest breaks. In the future, without a driver, we can transport goods even more efficiently and help increase supply capacity while reducing supply chain concerns.
Moore: My final question, Michael: There’s some stigma around autonomous vehicles. What impact do you hope Kodiak can have in helping to remove that stigma and promote the idea that autonomous vehicles are not only better for the environment and people but are a good thing overall?
Wiesinger: Change is never easy, and it’s important to explain why new technology makes sense. We try to be extremely transparent about what we do, where we are, where we’re going and why. We talk to our partners, drivers and everyone involved in the supply chain to build an ecosystem that supports this. We have partners like Ryder, Pilot and Flying J, and Bridgestone who help spread the message. We also work with the American Trucking Association and have an industry advisory council to guide us on communication and learning strategies that resonate with people.
We hope that by being transparent and engaging with the community, people will become comfortable with autonomous vehicles on the road.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The authoritative record of KUAF programming is the audio record.
Support KUAF and Keep Public Radio Thriving
For more than 50 years, KUAF has been your source for reliable news, enriching music and community connection. Your support allows us to bring you trustworthy journalism through programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Ozarks at Large. As we build for the next 50 years, we need your support for KUAF to ensure we continue to provide the news, music, and connections you value. Your support is not just appreciated; it's essential. Make your gift today here.
Thank you for supporting KUAF!
