Tyson Foods and C.R. England Work with Kodiak Robotics to Utilize Self-Driving Trucks to Haul Time-Sensitive and Refrigerated Freight
The companies will launch autonomous deliveries of Tyson Foods protein products
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and SALT LAKE CITY and UTAH/SPRINGDALE, Ark., April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving trucking company, today announced a partnership with C.R. England, Inc., one of the nation’s leading truckload carriers. To kick off the partnership, the companies have launched a pilot program to autonomously ship Tyson Foods products between Dallas and San Antonio, Texas. The deliveries will launch in April using Kodiak self-driving trucks and C.R. England refrigerated trailers. Safety drivers will be in the trucks in the initial stages of the pilot.
Testing by Kodiak indicates that self-driving trucks provide increased safety and reliability. In an industry where there is a shortage of truck drivers, autonomous trucks can be a huge benefit.
“Tyson Foods is pursuing the leading edge of technology in all aspects of our business, especially in transportation,” said Patrick Simmons, Vice President of Transportation at Tyson Foods. “Autonomous trucks are just one piece of the puzzle in this innovation journey to use technology to operate more efficiently and to help ensure our transportation loads are delivered in a timely fashion.”
Through this partnership, C.R. England also joined Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and seamlessly integrate the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak's self-driving system, into their fleet. Integrating self-driving trucks into C.R. England’s fleet will introduce a host of environmental and other benefits, including improved safety, reduced fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions.
“One of the categories where C.R. England is a leader is in perishable foods, which require the safest, most reliable, on-time delivery possible. Kodiak’s proven performance and commitment to customer success makes it a great partner to help us introduce autonomous service into our operations,” said Chad England, CEO, C.R. England. “Working with Kodiak enables us to better understand how autonomous vehicles fit into our fleet of the future, while continuing to deliver high quality service and value to great customers like Tyson. By employing self-driving trucks, we can increase capacity and expedite deliveries without sacrificing customer service, as our valued drivers will take over to interface with customers and consignees at either end of the load. Our intent is to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for customers, whether they need their freight moved autonomously or not.”
C.R. England, a 103-year-old family-owned business, is consistently ranked one of the nation’s top carriers for time-critical, perishable freight. Tyson Foods, a global leader in protein products, is a perfect use case for autonomous freight movement as the perishable food supply chain needs reliable, safe, and fast deliveries, all of which are key benefits of self-driving trucks. C.R. England chose to partner with Kodiak due to the companies’ shared focus on safety, sustainability and reliability of service.
“C.R. England’s extensive premium service network provides the ideal scenario for the introduction of autonomous trucks,” said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. “The potential benefits of Kodiak’s technology are far-reaching—for shippers whose reputations are built on the freshness of their products, to end consumers who rely on companies like Tyson Foods to provide products they can trust. Our partnership with C.R. England will clearly demonstrate our value proposition of increasing safety, efficiency and reliability for Tyson Foods and the entire supply chain.”
About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.
Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight forward—so people, partners, and the planet thrive. The company is developing an industry-leading technology stack purpose-built specifically for long-haul trucks, making the freight industry safer and more efficient. Kodiak’s unique modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the South, operating autonomously on the highway portions of the routes. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can find the company press kit HERE.
About C.R. England
Founded in 1920, C.R. England is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT and is one of North America’s premier transportation providers. The company is an industry leader in Dedicated, Over-The-Road, cross-border Mexico, Intermodal, and Logistics services. C.R. England has been regularly recognized for management excellence. This year, the company was recognized by Newsweek as one of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women,’ and ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.’ Additionally, C.R. England was recently honored by The Wall Street Journal as a ‘US Best Managed Company,’ by Glassdoor with their ‘Top Places to Work’ award, and by Achievers with their ‘50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ Award.’ C.R. England is committed to giving back to the community by fighting childhood hunger. With each load delivered, the company feeds a child, with the goal of feeding one million children per year.
About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under four generations of family leadership, the Company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the Company had approximately 142,000 team members on October 1, 2022. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tysonfoods.com.
Kodiak Media Contacts
Daniel Goff
+1-646-515-3933, dan@kodiak.ai
Stacy Morris
310-415-9188, stacy.morris@futuristacommunications.com
Tyson Foods Media Contact
Melissa Williams
479-652-0503, melissa.williams2@tyson.com
C.R. England Media Contacts
David Allred
801-974-3880, david.allred@crengland.com
