Kodiak AI Expands Autonomous Trucking Beyond the Sunbelt with Demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana

Kodiak AI, Inc., a leading provider of Physical AI-powered autonomous vehicle technology, announced the successful completion of an autonomous trucking program in Ohio in partnership with DriveOhio, the state’s centralized hub for connected and autonomous vehicle testing and development. The program represents Kodiak’s first operational deployment outside the sunbelt, and brought together stakeholders from Ohio and Indiana to experience autonomous long-haul trucking firsthand on Interstate 70, one of North America’s most commercially significant freight corridors. Kodiak’s work with DriveOhio was hosted in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).

The demonstration represents an expansion of Kodiak’s operational design domain (ODD), moving beyond the highway environments of Texas and the southern United States into the Midwest. The program brought together transportation officials, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from across Ohio and Indiana, offering firsthand experience with autonomous trucking technology and prompting dialogue around deployment, safety, and regulation.

Kodiak and DriveOhio also showcased Kodiak’s Level 4 autonomous trucking capabilities in a series of real-world driving demonstrations held at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) track in East Liberty, Ohio. Scenarios demonstrated included navigating construction zones, merging onto highways, passing slower vehicles, yielding to disabled vehicles, and responding to unexpected pedestrian crossings. Kodiak and DriveOhio also hosted a demonstration for first responders at the INDOT Traffic Management Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. At both events, Kodiak engaged participants on topics including its safety case, commercial operations, and best practices for integrating autonomous vehicles into existing freight networks and operations.

“Our work with DriveOhio marks an important step toward scaling autonomous trucking nationwide,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO of Kodiak. “This program highlights not only the maturity of our technology, but also its ability to operate safely and effectively beyond the sunbelt, in new environments that are critical to the U.S. supply chain.”