Pilot Open Futuristic Truckport to Support Autonomous Trucks
The opening of their first truckport created just for autonomous trucks has been announced by Kodiak Robotics and Pilot Company, which among other things runs travel centres in North America.
Kodiak will make use of the facilities at the Pilot Travel Centre in Villa Rica, Georgia, to launch and land autonomous trucks. The location will also act as a centre for first- and last-mile delivery pick-up and delivery for drivers.
The 18,000-mile-long autonomous deployment network that Kodiak claims is the longest and most reliable collection of mapped routes for self-driving trucks will be supported by the Villa Rica truckport.
According to Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, "partnering with Pilot Company to build the Villa Rica truckport ensures that we have access to the truckport services we need, utilising Pilot's industry-leading travel centre network."
"This agreement makes it possible for us to develop our truckport network in a scalable, asset-light manner, in addition to Kodiak's adaptable technology stack. The nation's supply system and economy depend heavily on the freight channel connecting Dallas and Atlanta, and new truckport allows us to improve our operational model as we expand.
The new truckport will act as a satellite hub for Kodiak's network's east coast, while the Dallas-Fort Worth hub will continue to be the main terminal for the company's fleet of autonomous trucks.
The brand-new building will act as a prototype for next Kodiak truckports, which are built to be extremely expandable due to minimal infrastructure needs.According to Brandon Trama, director of strategy and business development at Pilot Company, "Pilot Company rigorously tests ways to integrate new technologies, including autonomous trucks, to maintain our safety-first focus and continue fueling the trucking industry."
"Our collaboration with Kodiak supports our commitment to enhancing the standard of living for professional drivers. While expert drivers who can stay close to home can handle the more desirable local, first- and last-mile deliveries, autonomous trucks concentrate on the long, repeating highway miles.
Pilot declared in August 2022 that it had joined Kodiak's board of directors and made a strategic investment in the company. Within Pilot's network of national travel agencies, Kodiak and Pilot are considering additional growth.
Pre-trip examinations, such as Enhanced examinations created especially for self-driving trucks, light maintenance, refuelling at the Pilot Travel Centre, and other services will also be available at the truckport.