Atlas is now concurrently operating driverless trucks at load-out sites located in Texas and New Mexico.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. recently announced an expansion of its autonomous truck operations in the Permian Basin, advancing its commitment to unlocking energy by digitally transforming oilfield logistics. Working with Kodiak AI, Inc. (“Kodiak”) (Nasdaq: KDK), a leading provider of Physical AI-powered autonomous driving technology, Atlas is expanding its driverless proppant delivery program to a second simultaneous load-out point along its 42-mile Dune Express sand conveyor system. This additional load-out point expands the reach of autonomous deliveries and increases Atlas’s responsiveness to growing customer demand. In addition, Atlas and Kodiak have agreed to a delivery timetable that will expand Atlas’s Kodiak-enabled fleet from 28 driverless trucks operating as of March 31, 2026, to 100 autonomous delivery trucks by mid-2027. The companies also expect to have the fleet operating on public roads by early 2027, subject to regulatory and operational milestones, dramatically expanding the reach of the Atlas autonomous fleet. “This partnership with Kodiak is a critical part of the Atlas strategy to transform oilfield sand logistics through innovation,” said Turner of Atlas Energy Solutions. “Our mission is to seek critical energy infrastructure with inefficiencies, then engineer solutions that improve efficiency, reduce risk and enhance our customers’ operational success.” Atlas helps oil and gas producers overcome complex operational and technical challenges by providing high-quality proppant critical to well completions. By integrating mining and transportation automation with advanced last-mile logistics management, Atlas accelerates and simplifies access to critical oil and natural gas resources while reducing operational complexity, risk and cost. Atlas is now concurrently operating driverless trucks at load-out sites located in Texas and New Mexico. Trucks equipped with the AI-enabled Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s autonomous driving system, now have expanded reach and service area to haul sand to well sites across the Permian, one of the world’s most prolific oil and gas basins. Previously, Atlas’s driverless trucks operated from one load-out point at a time. With autonomous operations now running from two distinct locations, approximately 90 minutes apart, Atlas can serve customers across a larger geographic area simultaneously. Atlas’s autonomous program has scaled steadily since its initial driverless deployments in 2024. As of March 31, 2026, Atlas operated 28 driverless trucks across 15 distinct routes, which together have carried approximately 7,000 loads and hauled more than 450,000 tons of sand. The fleet also completed over 23,500 driverless hours of operation in the first quarter of 2026. On July 20, Kodiak-powered trucks delivered 176 loads of sand in a single day, an all-time daily high across 18 months of driverless deployments with Atlas in the Permian Basin. “Together, Atlas and Kodiak have deployed the world's largest fleet of driverless big-rig trucks,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO, Kodiak. “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.” Earlier this year, Kodiak and Atlas collaborated to introduce advanced capabilities making it possible for one autonomous truck to haul three connected trailers simultaneously. This milestone marks the first ever autonomous triple-trailer trucking operation, with a combined loaded weight of more than 135 tons. Kodiak and Atlas expect to operate Atlas trucks on public roads by 2027, dramatically expanding the reach of Atlas’s autonomous fleet.
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2026-09-04