Kodiak Shifts to Asset-Light Model With First Highway DaaS Deal

Kodiak AI has secured its first binding commercial agreement to supply driverless trucks for public highways, as TechCrunch first reported. Under the deal, Kodiak will deliver 75 self-driving trucks to DTL Transport, a California-based midmarket carrier, starting in 2028.

The agreement marks a strategic pivot for Kodiak toward a "driver-as-a-service" (DaaS) model. Unlike the company's existing "trucking-as-a-service" (TaaS) model—used by customers such as Werner Enterprises, Roehl Transport, and Charger USA—where Kodiak owns and operates the vehicles, the DaaS model allows customers to own and operate the trucks while licensing Kodiak's technology via a per-mile fee.

Kodiak founder and CEO Don Burnette told TechCrunch that the company does not want to be in the business of running a trucking company, aiming instead to be an "asset-light" technology supplier. Burnette noted that midmarket carriers like DTL are ideal partners due to their execution speed and ability to integrate new technology quickly.

DTL Transport plans to deploy the trucks on routes between Dallas and El Paso, as well as on Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta. This follows a California pilot program last month where Kodiak hauled perishable goods for DTL between Los Angeles and Fresno.

While Atlas Energy Solutions has been a DaaS customer since 2024, those operations are limited to off-road settings in the Permian Basin. The DTL deal is the first of its kind for public highways. Based on Kodiak's 2025 investor presentation, which projected annual recurring revenue of $150,000 to $190,000 per truck, the DTL contract could bring in at least $11.2 million in annual recurring revenue after all trucks are delivered.