Kodiak and Charger USA Start Autonomous Freight Runs Between Dallas and Laredo
Kodiak AI and cross-border carrier Charger USA have started hauling freight with the Kodiak Driver on the 435-mile route between Dallas and Laredo, Texas. It is Kodiak's first autonomous service to Laredo, the busiest freight border crossing in the United States, according to the company.
- Kodiak AI and Charger USA are hauling refrigerated and dry freight on the 435-mile Dallas to Laredo lane.
- The first delivery took place on September 8, 2026, with a safety driver on board.
- Driverless operation is planned once Kodiak completes its safety case.
- The Port of Laredo handled over $350 billion in trade in 2025, nearly 40% of US trade with Mexico.
- Kodiak's long-haul Autonomy Readiness Measure reached 96% at the end of September 2026.
A new lane for the Kodiak Driver
Kodiak AI (Nasdaq: KDK) and Charger USA, which serves the United States and Mexico, announced a collaboration for autonomous freight delivery. Trucks equipped with the Kodiak Driver, the company's autonomous driving system, are carrying refrigerated and dry freight for consumer packaged goods and food and beverage customers between Charger's terminals in Dallas and Laredo.
The first delivery was completed on September 8, 2026. For now, a safety driver sits behind the wheel. The companies intend to move the lane to driverless operations once Kodiak completes its safety case, which the company describes as a structured, evidence-backed argument that the Kodiak Driver is acceptably safe to operate in a specific domain.
Why Laredo matters
According to Kodiak, Laredo is the highest-volume commercial land port of entry in the United States. The Port of Laredo handled over $350 billion in international trade in 2025, amounting to nearly 40% of all United States trade with Mexico.
Kodiak argues that consumer packaged goods and food and beverage shipments suit autonomy well. These goods move in steady, high-volume flows tied to retail replenishment schedules, so the predictable transit times and extended operating hours of autonomous trucks are especially valuable.
Charger is an asset-based carrier operating across North America, with temperature-controlled transport among its core service lines. The companies expect to extend the collaboration to additional lanes in Charger's network over time as Charger integrates the Kodiak Driver into its own fleet.
What the companies say
Andy Khera, President of Charger USA, said that combining the carrier's in-house TMS, managed transportation and the Kodiak Driver "creates a nearly fully automated ecosystem that gives our customers long-term capacity continuity through changing labor markets and freight demand, while bringing our drivers home every night."
Kodiak founder and CEO Don Burnette said 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's driverless progress
Kodiak sells its technology through a Driver-as-a-Service model, deploying the Kodiak Driver on trucks owned and operated by its customers. According to the company, its driverless technology has been in commercial service in the Permian Basin since December 2024, with customer-owned trucks running with no one in the cab.
Kodiak plans to launch long-haul driverless service by the end of 2026. Its long-haul Autonomy Readiness Measure, which tracks the percentage of claims and evidence in the safety case that are materially complete, reached 96% at the end of September 2026.
For shippers and carriers on the Texas-Mexico corridor, the Dallas-Laredo lane is an early test of autonomous freight on a major trade route. The timeline for removing the safety driver depends on Kodiak finishing its safety case, and the company notes that its plans are forward-looking and subject to risks, including delays in its operational roadmap with partners and customers.
