MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — C.R. England Inc. and Kodiak Robotics Inc. have begun a pilot program to autonomously ship Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio.
According to a news release, the deliveries will launch later in April using Kodiak self-driving trucks and C.R. England refrigerated trailers.
Safety drivers will be in the trucks in the initial stages of the pilot.
Kodiak officials said that testing indicates that self-driving trucks provide increased safety and reliability.
“Tyson Foods is pursuing the leading edge of technology in all aspects of our business, especially in transportation,” said Patrick Simmons, the company’s vice president of transportation. “Autonomous trucks are just one piece of the puzzle in this innovation journey to use technology to operate more efficiently and to help ensure our transportation loads are delivered in a timely fashion.”
Through this partnership, C.R. England also joined Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and integrate the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s self-driving system, into their fleet, according to the news release.
“One of the categories where C.R. England is a leader is in perishable foods, which require the safest, most reliable on-time delivery possible,” said C.R. England CEO Chad England. “Kodiak’s proven performance and commitment to customer success makes it a great partner to help us introduce autonomous service into our operations. Working with Kodiak enables us to better understand how autonomous vehicles fit into our fleet of the future, while continuing to deliver high quality service and value to great customers like Tyson.”
England added that by employing self-driving trucks, “we can increase capacity and expedite deliveries without sacrificing customer service, as our valued drivers will take over to interface with customers and consignees at either end of the load. Our intent is to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for customers, whether they need their freight moved autonomously or not.”
“C.R. England’s extensive premium service network provides the ideal scenario for the introduction of autonomous trucks,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak. “The potential benefits of Kodiak’s technology are far-reaching — for shippers whose reputations are built on the freshness of their products, to end consumers who rely on companies like Tyson Foods to provide products they can trust. Our partnership with C.R. England will clearly demonstrate our value proposition of increasing safety, efficiency and reliability for Tyson Foods and the entire supply chain.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
If we want to keep our jobs, we need to take this very seriously. This will be the future for all of us Ladies and Gentlemen. Maybe Tyson needs a Bud Lite response.
no it’s not you people forgot who and how this country was built these f$#@ing trucks can’t open the doors and can’t fuel can’t do a pti you people are a disgrace to man kind
YES THAT IS ALL FINE AND DANDY FOR CR ENGALND, KODIAK AND TYSON BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE TRUCK DRIVERS WHO DEPEND ON THIER JOB SO THEY CAN GO TO BUY THEIR CHIPS AND CHICKEN FOR THEIR FAMILIES? YEA SCREW THE TRUCK DRIVER WHO HAS KEPT YOUR COMPANIES ALIVE SO YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. SCREW THEM GUYS AND THANK YOU BUT WE DO NOT NEED YOU ANYMORE. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE REALLY SAYING DRIVERS SO IF YOU ARE DRIVERS FOR THESE COMPANIES YOU SHOULD ALL FIND ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE THEY ARE OUT THERE. YES YOU MIGHT NOT GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESERVE BUT YOU WOULD PUT FRITO LAY AND TYSON FLAT ON THEIR BROKE ASS AND THEY WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO SEE THE AUTOMATED TRUCK DAYS. THINK ABOUT IT DRIVERS IF YOU YOUNGER DRIVERS DO NOT DO SOMETHING SOON YOU ARE ALL GOING TO BE F…..!!!!! YOU BETTER GO FIND JIMMY HOFFA QUICK BECAUSE YA’LL ARE GOING TO NEED SOME SERIOUS HELP IF YOU DO NOT BECOME A UNION (TEAMSTERS) VERY SOON. WE USED TO TELL THE SHIPPERS AND RECEVERS WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO AND THAT WAS IT. YOU F….. P…… THESE DAYS NEED TO WIPE THE SNOT BUBBLES FROM YOUR NOSES AND STAND YOUR GROUND. GOOD LUCK
I’m all for the future of technology, really, and advancement. I know certain things can not remain the same. But I’ve been doing Safety Compliance for about 9 years now and let me tell you it’s not as easy as it seems. Trucks break down. Even brand-new ones with zero miles coming out of the dealer. It happens, technology is all good and whatnot but it has its faults. Regardless, we need a human hand in this field. Yeah, you can prepare a truck with sensors and all that good stuff but what happens when a tire blows? Who does Roadservice talk to? Give the paperwork? What happens when a light bulb goes out? Will it replace itself? Or will it drive up to a service shop? God forbid there’s an accident? Who is at fault? Now in days, you have citizens who throw themselves at trucks on purpose because all they see is a million dollars driving by. What about the wintertime? When you need to add additives to your truck lines so they do not freeze. Or the piles of snow or snow chains some of these States require? And let’s not talk about the fuel stealing that’s been happening lately. Who will supply and fuel these trucks? Trailers? What about the DEF tanks? What about cargo stealing? Or employees at customers’ locations who don’t care for their employers or products and load trailers with products in hot degrees or proper securement? Cargo claims at its largest. Is DOT going to accept or oversee certain FMSCA violations because they are autonomous trucks? OR will companies be held to a higher standard of the degree of compliance for having autonomous trucks running? Just a few things to think about before we’re ready to say we’re ready for the future of auto trucks.