JB Hunt Transport Services, Bridgestone Americas and Kodiak Robotics have successfully completed over 50,000 miles of autonomous long-haul trucking as part of their ongoing delivery collaboration.
Since the partnership’s inception in January, the companies have used Kodiak’s autonomous trucks to transport Bridgestone passenger car tires between South Carolina and Dallas.
The autonomous delivery model operates on a hub-to-hub system, with the long-haul segment of the route – from Atlanta to Dallas, approximately 750 miles – being handled by Kodiak’s autonomous driving technology. The trucks are equipped with Bridgestone’s M719 drive tires and R213 steer tires. JB Hunt facilitates the transportation of trailers to and from Bridgestone facilities and Kodiak hubs, using its JB Hunt 360box network to secure capacity for return trips, aiming to minimize empty miles and enhance route efficiency.
JB Hunt transports the load from Bridgestone’s Aiken Passenger Tire Plant in Graniteville, South Carolina, to Kodiak’s truckport in Villa Rica, Georgia. Kodiak’s autonomous trucks then handle the long-haul route to Lancaster, Texas, under the supervision of a two-person safety team. JB Hunt completes the final leg of the journey, moving the load to Bridgestone’s Roanoke distribution center.
On the return trip, JB Hunt uses the 360box program to find additional freight, which Kodiak then transports autonomously back to Atlanta.
Leaders from the three companies have highlighted the success and future potential of this collaboration. Nick Hobbs, COO of JB Hunt, emphasized how the integration of autonomous technology has enhanced operational efficiency: “It’s a great example of how our mode-neutral approach can leverage multiple service offerings to produce efficient, value-driven solutions unique to our customers’ needs.”
Brad Blizzard, VP of logistics operations and product delivery at Bridgestone, explained, “As part of our evolution into a global leader in sustainable mobility solutions, Bridgestone joined forces with Kodiak and JB Hunt to prove that autonomous long-haul shipping is more than just a daydream; it’s happening right now.”
Don Burnette, Kodiak’s founder and CEO, added, “Demonstrating the efficacy of our middle-mile model and improving operational efficiencies for our customers sets us all on a course for rapid and sustainable growth.”