Kodiak Robotics and Atlas Energy Solutions Complete First Driverless Commercial Semi-Truck Operations

ODESSA, TX – Kodiak Robotics and Atlas Energy Solutions have completed 100 deliveries of proppant using fully driverless RoboTrucks across the Permian Basin, Kodiak announced. 

Proppant is defined as a solid material used to keep fractures open during hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract oil and gas. 

The operation marks the first commercial deployment of customer-owned autonomous semi-trucks in the U.S.

Atlas, an energy solutions provider, now uses its own RoboTruck fleet equipped with Kodiak’s "advanced sixth-generation self-driving platform."

The trucks operate without a safety driver and leverage Kodiak’s proprietary "SensorPods."

Deliveries span a 21-mile off-road route in West Texas and a broader 75,000-square-mile area across the Permian Basin.

“This is an incredible moment, for us and for the autonomous trucking industry as we have officially delivered a commercial RoboTruck to a customer and launched commercial operations,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, of Kodiak. “The commercialization of autonomous trucks has been a goal for the industry for many years, and it has now come to fruition. Kodiak is the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business, and this is a major step towards profitability for our company.” 

The launch coincided with the debut of Atlas’s Dune Express, a 42-mile electric conveyor system that transports sand to autonomous trucks. This end-to-end solution aims to improve logistics efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance safety by cutting millions of miles driven on public roads.

“Incorporating these driverless RoboTrucks into our operations is a significant advancement in the automation of our business, enhancing our ability to maintain a fundamentally safe and reliable service at the best price for our customers,” said John Turner, CEO, of Atlas. “Becoming the first company to operate our own autonomous semi-trucks and reaching 100 successful autonomous proppant deliveries demonstrates our unique commitment to driving innovation and automation across the Permian Basin’s rugged terrain, dust, and heat.”

Atlas plans to scale its RoboTruck operations throughout 2025, supported by Kodiak’s new office in Odessa, Texas. The facility is projected to employ 20 staff by the end of the first quarter.

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