ROSEMONT, Ill. — Autonomous trucking company Kodiak Robotics and supply chain group The Martin-Brower Company are working together to autonomously deliver time-critical refrigerated freight for quick service restaurants eight times per week between Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Since the companies began working together in July 2022, Kodiak has completed more than 600 autonomous deliveries for Martin Brower, according to a news release.
Kodiak and Martin Brower are also exploring ways to expand their commercial operations across the Martin Brower network, the news release notes.
Kodiak operates what Martin Brower calls a “shuttle lane,” where autonomous trucks shuttle full trailers between major hubs and local drivers handle distribution of goods to multiple restaurants, including two of the top five largest fast food chains in the United States. The companies are working together to explore additional shuttle lane opportunities.
“We chose Kodiak because we share a mutual commitment to safety and customer service,” said Mark Grittner, director of global capital for fleet and facilities at Martin Brower. “By working together, we are able to benefit from the safety, reliability and efficiency provided by Kodiak’s autonomous technology while also ensuring our local drivers can continue to provide the best-in-class customer service that is foundational to Martin Brower’s reputation.”
Don Burnette, founder and CEO, Kodiak, said that, for example, your “next order of fries may have traveled on a Kodiak truck.”
“Autonomous trucks are well-suited to the difficult work of long-haul driving, while allowing our partners’ local drivers to handle last-mile deliveries and provide a personal touch for customers,” he said. “Martin Brower’s shuttle lane model is an ideal application for Kodiak that enables us to demonstrate the value of our technology within our customers’ existing networks.”
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.
