Self-driving trucks still need a human in the driver’s seat
A new contract shows the gap between tech promises and current regulations.
The story
Kodiak AI has secured its first commercial deal to supply self-driving trucks for public highways, with 75 trucks set to be delivered to DTL Transport in 2028. The deal marks a shift toward a 'driver-as-a-service' model, though the company has not disclosed the contract's value.
Source: techcrunch.com
Our reading
Kodiak’s new deal with DTL Transport includes 75 self-driving trucks, but they’ll still have human safety operators in the cab. It’s like saying you’ve invented a magic wand, but you’re only using it to wave a regular stick while the real magic stays in the drawer.
The company’s plan to eventually remove those operators sounds like a tech startup’s version of a long-term relationship: ‘We’ll be together, but only after we’ve proven we can be alone.’
Meanwhile, the trucks are still legally allowed to have a human in the driver’s seat, which is the same rule that kept the first self-driving cars from being fully autonomous for years. The future is here, but it’s still wearing a seatbelt.
