Self-Driving Trucks Log 3M Safe Miles on U.S. Highways

A self-driving truck just completed another freight run from Texas to Atlanta, and nobody behind the wheel got tired, checked their phone, or needed a break.

Kodiak AI has been quietly operating autonomous trucks on public highways since 2019, delivering real cargo between Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. The company has logged over 3 million miles with their self-driving system, equivalent to nearly four average human lifetimes of driving.

Daniel Goff, vice president at Kodiak AI, says public perception has shifted dramatically since the company launched in 2018. "When I first started, people looked at me like I was crazy," he shared on the Beyond Connected podcast. Now, seeing the technology operate safely in real-world conditions has changed minds.

The trucks use the Kodiak Driver, an AI system that combines software and hardware to handle highway driving. A safety driver still sits behind the wheel, ready to take over if needed, but the system handles the long, repetitive stretches that make trucking one of America's most demanding jobs.

Long-haul truckers often spend days or weeks away from family, sleeping in their cabs and pushing through fatigue. Federal safety rules limit drivers to 11 hours per day, which protects them but also means the average truck sits idle 17 hours daily.

The Ripple Effect

The technology targets the hardest part of trucking first: those endless highway miles through remote areas where few people want to live or work. With a nationwide driver shortage growing as experienced truckers retire, autonomous systems could keep goods moving without asking humans to sacrifice months away from home.

Kodiak's trucks don't speed, don't get distracted, and as Goff puts it, they're "pretty boring drivers." In an industry where boring often means safe, that's exactly the point. The system could eventually run nearly 24/7, stopping only for fuel and safety inspections.

The company isn't replacing local delivery drivers or short-haul routes where human judgment matters most. Instead, they're focused on solving the specific problem of long, lonely highway stretches that strain both safety and supply chains.

Three million miles is just the beginning, but it's proof that self-driving trucks can handle real freight, real weather, and real highways safely.