J.B. Hunt Transport Services said Wednesday it has surpassed an autonomous trucking milestone, completing more than 50,000 miles using Kodiak Robotics’ driverless trucks. The two companies teamed up with Bridgestone to move car tires between South Carolina and Dallas.
J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) uses its own equipment to move the tires from a Bridgestone (JPX: 5108.T) plant in Graniteville, South Carolina, to a Kodiak hub near Atlanta. Using two-person safety driver teams, the Kodiak trucks complete the long-haul route from Atlanta to another Kodiak hub south of Dallas. The shipment is then moved once more by J.B. Hunt to a nearby Bridgestone distribution center.
“Working closely with Kodiak and Bridgestone, we were able to deliver a complementary solution that integrates autonomous technology with day-to-day operations while also solving backhaul challenges,” said Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of contract services at J.B. Hunt.
The approximately 750-mile hub-to-hub route takes 16 hours and uses trailers from J.B. Hunt 360box to execute the shipments. J.B. Hunt uses its 360 platform to identify eligible loads for the return trip from Dallas to Atlanta, limiting empty miles. Kodiak moves the backhauls autonomously with J.B. Hunt making the final delivery.
The service launched in January and has since expanded to include additional deliveries. There have been no accidents on the route.
“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,” said Don Burnette, Kodiak founder and CEO.
Bridgestone made an investment in Kodiak in 2021. Kodiak uses the manufacturer’s “smart-sensing tire” technology on its trucks.
Bridgestone is a customer of J.B. Hunt’s Dedicated Contract Services unit.