KNOXVILLE, Tenn. and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — It may sound like something out of the latest sci-fi film, but Georgia’s new truckport is the reality of trucking’s ever-changing landscape.
It’s the brainchild of self-driving trucking firm Kodiak Robotics and truck stop giant Pilot Company.
The facility, located at the Pilot travel center in Villa Rica, Georgia, will be used by Kodiak to launch and land autonomous trucks and will serve as a hub for drivers to pick up and drop off first-and last-mile deliveries, according to a news release.
The Villa Rica truckport will support Kodiak’s 18,000-mile-long autonomous deployment network, the industry’s largest and most robust set of mapped routes for self-driving trucks.
“Partnering with Pilot Company to build the Villa Rica truckport ensures that we have access to the truckport services we need, utilizing Pilot’s industry-leading travel center network,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics. “This partnership, combined with Kodiak’s flexible technology stack, enables our scalable, asset-light approach to building our truckport network. The freight lane between Dallas and Atlanta is critical to the nation’s supply chain and economy, and this truckport enables us to refine our operations model as we continue to grow.”
The new truckport in Villa Rica will serve as an eastern satellite hub for Kodiak’s network, while the company’s Dallas-Fort Worth hub will continue to serve as the main terminal for its autonomous truck fleet, the news release noted.
It also serves as a model for future Kodiak truckports, which are designed to be highly scalable due to lean infrastructure requirements.
Additional comprehensive services at the truckport will include refueling at the Pilot Travel Center, light maintenance and pre-trip inspections, including Enhanced Inspections specifically designed for self-driving trucks.
“Pilot Company rigorously tests ways to integrate new technologies, including autonomous trucks, to maintain our safety-first focus and continue fueling the trucking industry,” said Brandon Trama, director of strategy and business development at Pilot Company. “Working with Kodiak aligns with our emphasis on improving the quality of life for professional drivers. Autonomous trucks focus on the long, repeatable highway miles, leaving the more enticing local, first- and last-mile deliveries for professional drivers who can stay closer to home.”
In August 2022, Pilot Company announced that it had made a strategic investment in Kodiak and joined its Board of Directors.
Kodiak and Pilot are exploring further expansion within Pilot’s national travel center network.
The opening of the Pilot Villa Rica truckport follows Kodiak’s recent partnership announcements with Loadsmith, C.R. England and Tyson, IKEA, Werner, Forward and more.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
I couldn t help but laugh at the irony of this idiocy,”The supply line bewteen Dallas to Atlanta is crucial to the economy,(silent part,let s replace drivers with autonomous trucks and ruin their economy,ñuk,ñuk,ñuk).
Honestly,ever since Warren Buffet,and even when he was minority owner,he influenced Pilot/FJ into becoming a profit at all cost enterprise,now he is majority owner and look at it: overworked employees,short staffed stores,and it shows,filthy showers,filthy rest rooms,long lines at the registers AND SOON,self check out registers,of course,to replace humans.
I figure that this trend will continue and Petro will follow,all”free” parking will be eliminated.
I hate what FJ/Pilot,Petro/TA have become,not a decent meal to be had anymore,it s all diabetes,high blood pressure,cholesterol inducive food.
Love s is somewhat better,but just slightly in cleanliness.
I don t like Warren Buffet and his vultureistic Berkshire Hathaway.