Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving trucking company,
today announced a partnership with C.R. England, Inc., one of the
nation’s leading truckload carriers. To kick off the partnership,
the companies have launched a pilot program to autonomously ship
Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio, Texas. The
deliveries will launch in April using Kodiak self-driving trucks
and C.R. England refrigerated trailers. Safety drivers will be in
the trucks in the initial stages of the pilot.
Testing by Kodiak indicates that self-driving trucks provide
increased safety and reliability. In an industry where there is a
shortage of truck drivers, autonomous trucks can be a huge
benefit.
“Tyson Foods is pursuing the leading edge of technology in all
aspects of our business, especially in transportation,” said
Patrick Simmons, Vice President of Transportation at Tyson Foods.
“Autonomous trucks are just one piece of the puzzle in this
innovation journey to use technology to operate more efficiently
and to help ensure our transportation loads are delivered in a
timely fashion.”
Through this partnership, C.R. England also joined Kodiak’s
Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish
autonomous freight operations and seamlessly integrate the Kodiak
Driver, Kodiak's self-driving system, into their fleet. Integrating
self-driving trucks into C.R. England’s fleet will introduce a host
of environmental and other benefits, including improved safety,
reduced fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions.
“One of the categories where C.R. England is a leader is in
perishable foods, which require the safest, most reliable, on-time
delivery possible. Kodiak’s proven performance and commitment to
customer success makes it a great partner to help us introduce
autonomous service into our operations,” said Chad England, CEO,
C.R. England. “Working with Kodiak enables us to better understand
how autonomous vehicles fit into our fleet of the future, while
continuing to deliver high quality service and value to great
customers like Tyson. By employing self-driving trucks, we can
increase capacity and expedite deliveries without sacrificing
customer service, as our valued drivers will take over to interface
with customers and consignees at either end of the load. Our intent
is to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for customers, whether they need their
freight moved autonomously or not.”
C.R. England, a 103-year-old family-owned business, is
consistently ranked one of the nation’s top carriers for
time-critical, perishable freight. Tyson Foods, a global leader in
protein products, is a perfect use case for autonomous freight
movement as the perishable food supply chain needs reliable, safe,
and fast deliveries, all of which are key benefits of self-driving
trucks. C.R. England chose to partner with Kodiak due to the
companies’ shared focus on safety, sustainability and reliability
of service.
“C.R. England’s extensive premium service network provides the
ideal scenario for the introduction of autonomous trucks,” said Don
Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. “The potential benefits of
Kodiak’s technology are far-reaching—for shippers whose reputations
are built on the freshness of their products, to end consumers who
rely on companies like Tyson Foods to provide products they can
trust. Our partnership with C.R. England will clearly demonstrate
our value proposition of increasing safety, efficiency and
reliability for Tyson Foods and the entire supply
chain.”About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.Kodiak Robotics,
Inc. was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that
carries freight forward—so people, partners, and the planet thrive.
The company is developing an industry-leading technology stack
purpose-built specifically for long-haul trucks, making the freight
industry safer and more efficient. Kodiak’s unique modular hardware
approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure
that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability.
The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the
South, operating autonomously on the highway portions of the
routes. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on
LinkedIn and Twitter. You can find the company press kit HERE.
About C.R. EnglandFounded in 1920, C.R. England
is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT and is one of North
America’s premier transportation providers. The company is an
industry leader in Dedicated, Over-The-Road, cross-border Mexico,
Intermodal, and Logistics services. C.R. England has been regularly
recognized for management excellence. This year, the company was
recognized by Newsweek as one of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for
Women,’ and ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.’
Additionally, C.R. England was recently honored by The Wall Street
Journal as a ‘US Best Managed Company,’ by Glassdoor with their
‘Top Places to Work’ award, and by Achievers with their ‘50 Most
Engaged Workplaces™ Award.’ C.R. England is committed to giving
back to the community by fighting childhood hunger. With each load
delivered, the company feeds a child, with the goal of feeding one
million children per year.
About Tyson Foods, Inc.Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:
TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized
leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under
four generations of family leadership, the Company has a broad
portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®,
Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®,
ibp® and State Fair®. Headquartered in Springdale,
Arkansas, the Company had approximately 142,000 team members on
October 1, 2022. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives
to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders,
customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of
the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
Visit www.tysonfoods.com.
Kodiak Media ContactsDaniel
Goff+1-646-515-3933, dan@kodiak.ai
Stacy Morris310-415-9188,
stacy.morris@futuristacommunications.com
Tyson Foods Media ContactMelissa
Williams479-652-0503, melissa.williams2@tyson.com
C.R. England Media ContactsDavid
Allred801-974-3880, david.allred@crengland.com
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