Why USA Truck’s CEO joined Kodiak Robotics
Former USA Truck CEO James Reed just lately shifted into the function of COO at autonomous truck tech firm Kodiak Robotics.
Reed talked with Transport Dive about his background, Kodiak’s autonomous trucking expertise and his resolution to affix the AV tech agency.
The manager talked about how autonomous trucking might enhance life for drivers, delved into the variations between AV tech approaches and defined why he positioned his “profession wager” on Kodiak.
Editor’s word: This interview has been edited for readability and brevity.
TRANSPORT DIVE: Why had been you drawn to Kodiak?
JAMES REED: Our firm was exploring the autonomous area, and we weren’t working solely with Kodiak. So we had been transferring freight with some autonomous automobile suppliers, simply making an attempt to dip our toe within the water and perceive it, and we had shaped a very good relationship with Kodiak.
On the deserves of capability to go to market, I assumed Kodiak’s mirror pod answer, so far as mapping goes, was frankly probably the most scalable and perhaps even probably the most intelligent method to go to market. So I used to be like, ‘If I am gonna place a wager, that is the place I’ve positioned my profession wager.’ And I actually appreciated the staff, too.
TRANSPORT DIVE: How you’re you seeing Kodiak stack up in opposition to its competitors? Might you elaborate on Kodiak’s expertise?
REED: It has been Kodiak’s intention from the get-go to maneuver sensor suites into the mirror pods. Having the ability to change a pod shortly and effectively and hold the truck transferring is lots simpler than the alternate options.
Many within the trade are utilizing high-density mapping. As soon as they create that totally featured map, the automobile primarily drives, which is nice — till the map’s unsuitable.
The expertise wants to acknowledge two issues. First, it wants to acknowledge that the map does not match what it is ‘seeing’ — I’ll use that phrase. After which it must understand what it is seeing and devise a response to it. So at some stage, notion will probably be required of most options. That is my layperson understanding of it.
At Kodiak, we outline lane parameters. So we’ll drive a lane. In our mapping, we are going to map the lane markers. After which we deploy a automobile shortly thereafter. And that automobile can go in autonomous mode, understanding the place the lane markers are, calculating a ahead path each millisecond to foretell the place it ought to go. So it is actually a low overhead method to deploy notion into the autonomous area. It’s fairly sensible.
TRANSPORT DIVE: There’s been this rigidity between new expertise and what which may do to jobs. Have you ever seen this resistance play out firsthand?
REED: One of many attention-grabbing improvements in vehicles was when when computerized transmissions got here into long-haul trucking. So quick ahead into the early 2010s: It is actually laborious to recruit a driver. A number of the newer drivers did not know easy methods to drive something however an computerized. … And for fleets, it was cheaper to run computerized transmissions, higher gas economic system, you would get extra drivers since you get these guys and gals with computerized designations on their CDLs into the vehicles. And the outdated timers hated it, saying ‘I will by no means drive an computerized.’ Properly, I may give you names of dozens of drivers which have been driving 30–40 years, who now would not drive something aside from an computerized.
I am not saying that is an ideal corollary for autonomy, however right now, now we have a driver scarcity. It is approaching 80,000 drivers and projected to worsen. As you look ahead, we have got a chance within the transportation trade to ameliorate and to alleviate the problem round driver recruitment by supplementing it with autonomous autos. You are more likely to push jobs to the varieties of jobs that drivers like, akin to being house each day. Native jobs are going to be rather more prevalent, particularly if we are able to fill that center mile part, which is our intent with autonomous expertise.
TRANSPORT DIVE: If different executives are contemplating an analogous transfer from conventional trucking firms to self-driving firms, what recommendation do you’ve for them?
REED: It is the identical recommendation that I’ve for buyers. It is the identical recommendation that I’ve for potential clients: Get educated and kind an opinion. I imply, my selection to affix Kodiak was a well-informed selection that is taken 5 years to develop an opinion in regards to the trade. I’d warning them to watch out to be sure that this can be a area that they perceive and that they need to have a voice in. I really consider within the expertise. I consider it is additional alongside than most individuals notice.
If someone thinks they’re wired that manner, by all means, name Kodiak first.
