Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson spoke with Daniel Goff, vice president of external affairs at Kodiak AI, about how attitudes toward autonomous trucks have shifted over time.
Atlas Energy Solutions is expanding its fleet of Kodiak-powered driverless trucks across Texas and New Mexico. The trucks already haul sand to oil and gas well sites without anyone inside the cab.
Now, Atlas and Kodiak plan to grow the fleet from 28 driverless trucks to 100 by mid-2027. They also expect the trucks to begin operating on public roads in early 2027. However, that timeline still depends on operational milestones.
The expansion gives us a clearer look at how driverless trucking could move from private industrial roads onto highways.
New! Free live CyberGuy class: Protect Your Money From Today’s Biggest Threats
Join us Saturday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. ET for a free CyberGuy LIVE class covering five simple steps to help defend yourself against AI scams, fraud, identity theft and financial hacks. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson will explain how to set up bank alerts, strengthen your account logins, protect your phone number, freeze your credit and help secure your retirement savings against unauthorized transfers. No technical experience is needed. You’ll also receive our financial protection checklist, and every registrant will get a link to the class recording afterward.
Reserve your free spot today at CyberGuyLive.com.
NEW YORK SCHOOL PAUSES HUMANOID CLASSROOM ROBOT PILOT PROGRAM
Kodiak-powered driverless trucks haul sand across the Permian Basin as Atlas Energy Solutions prepares to expand its autonomous fleet from 28 trucks to 100 by mid-2027. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Atlas previously operated its driverless trucks from one load-out location at a time. It now runs them simultaneously from two depots about 90 minutes apart. One site is in Texas while the other is in New Mexico. The wider footprint lets Atlas reach more well sites across the Permian Basin. It can also respond faster when customers need more sand delivered. The operation connects with Atlas' 42-mile Dune Express conveyor system. That system moves sand closer to the well sites before the trucks complete the final portion of the trip.
Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, said the two companies have built the world's largest fleet of driverless big-rig trucks: "Together, Atlas and Kodiak have deployed the world's largest fleet of driverless big-rig trucks. We've demonstrated that autonomous trucking is delivering meaningful results today. Our expanding partnership, which now covers two unique locations, is creating a blueprint for how autonomy can transform logistics by improving efficiency, increasing productivity, and delivering lasting value for customers at commercial scale."
As of March 31, 2026, Atlas's driverless program operated 28 driverless trucks across 15 routes. Those trucks had carried about 7,000 loads and hauled more than 450,000 tons of sand. The fleet also logged more than 23,500 driverless operating hours during the first quarter of 2026. On July 20, Kodiak-powered trucks delivered 176 loads in one day. The companies called it a daily record for the 18-month deployment.
Earlier in 2026, Kodiak and Atlas also introduced a driverless truck that can pull three connected trailers. The combined loaded weight tops 135 tons. That kind of load would grab anyone's attention. It also raises an obvious question. What happens when these trucks leave private roads and begin driving beside the rest of us?
Kodiak plans to launch driverless highway operations by the end of 2026. Atlas expects its Kodiak-equipped fleet to follow onto public highways in 2027. The company is not alone in moving toward humanless highway freight. A separate autonomous truck recently completed a 230-mile commercial delivery in Texas with nobody in the cab.
Burnette told CyberGuy that other motorists should not expect unusual behavior from Kodiak-powered trucks: "Kodiak-powered trucks already operate autonomously on highways across the southern United States with a safety driver in the cab to oversee the system.The Kodiak Driver is engineered to be a safe and cautious driver and to follow normal driving etiquette, so other motorists should not notice anything unusual."
