Autonomous Trucking: Charger and Kodiak Target Cross-Border Freight Routes

Deploying autonomous vehicles along the Dallas-Laredo trade corridor aims to secure capacity continuity and mitigate ongoing driver shortages for commercial fleets.

Asset-based carrier Charger USA has partnered with Kodiak AI to deploy autonomous trucks on a 435-mile lane connecting its terminals in Dallas and Laredo, Texas. This strategic corridor feeds into the busiest commercial land port in the United States, which handled over $350 billion in cross-border trade in 2025.

For North American fleets and shippers—particularly in temperature-controlled, food, and consumer packaged goods sectors—the initiative focuses on delivering predictable transit times and extended operating hours. Deployed under a Driver-as-a-Service commercial structure, the autonomous driving system is integrated directly into customer-owned fleets, limiting upfront infrastructure friction for carriers.

Operations currently utilize a safety driver behind the wheel. The companies plan to transition the route to fully driverless operations by the end of 2026, with Kodiak reporting its long-haul safety case evaluation at 96% completion. For transport operators, substituting automated systems on long-haul legs offers a pathway to offset labor market volatility while maximizing equipment utilization across core freight lanes.