• Kodiak Robotics, an autonomous truck manufacturer, has received a strategic investment from travel center operator Pilot Company (value not disclosed) and has partnered with the same to jointly offer autonomous truck services at Pilot and Flying J travel centers across North America.

• The companies are currently developing an autonomous truck service location in Atlanta to evaluate service offerings (e.g., picking up and dropping off loads, conducting inspections, and maintaining and refueling trucks) and the possibility to scale.

• As per the deal, Pilot Company will also be joining Kodiak’s board of directors.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Today’s news will complement the rapid commercial expansion at Kodiak—which now operates six routes between Dallas and Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, and Jacksonville, Florida. Other peer startups including Gatik, TuSimple, Embark Trucks, and incumbent Waymo also have similar partnerships to offer truck services—but mostly with fleet management solutions provider Ryder System.</ul>