Autonomous 18-wheelers in Texas move across harsh desert terrain with no safety drivers

Published on Jul 07, 2025 at 1:07 AM (UTC+4)
by Grace Donohoe

Last updated on Jul 03, 2025 at 3:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Emma Matthews

These autonomous 18-wheelers in Texas move across harsh desert terrain with no safety drivers.

The trucks can operate on their own, with no need for a driver to be sitting behind the wheel.

Clever technology and AI help the concept come to life, and the trucks’ interchangeable elements take less time to swap than changing a tire.

Plus, the trucks can almost drive 24 hours a day, seven days a week, only stopping to refuel their engines.

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Autonomous 18-wheelers move in the desert with no drivers

You’ve heard of autonomous cars and modes where the car can actually drive itself with no human interaction. But have you heard of autonomous trucks?

Well, Kodiak has introduced autonomous trucks that can drive themselves with no safety drivers. But that’s not the only interesting factor.

“Kodiak trucks are able to drive nearly 24/7, stopping only to refuel, receive self-diagnosed maintenance, and pick up new loads,” said Kodiak itself.

The company recently used the trucks to navigate harsh terrain in Texas. They comprise the ‘first customer-owned autonomous fleet in commercial service.’

The trucks are autonomous 18-wheelers powered by AI. But the company also partners with other suppliers to manufacture and upfit the vehicles, too.

In order to allow the driverless element to come to life, a system called SensorPods is used. It ‘combines LiDar, radar, and cameras to give the Kodiak Driver a detailed view of the driving environment.’

Autonomous and driverless vehicles are the future of travel

The car world is a rapidly advancing space, and the need for people to actually be behind the wheel is slowly fading away.

From cars that operate autonomously with no safety drivers to driver-assisted modes, many EV companies are starting to release new features.

For example, Tesla has a Full Self-Driving mode. It’s designed for use with a driver who has their hands on the wheel, although the AI still takes control of the vehicle.

In fact, early footage of the FSD shows how far it’s come in less than a decade, and it’s quite the impressive watch.

Plus, driverless taxis have recently taken the world by storm, with Tesla’s first Robotaxi launching in Texas, alongside Waymo in Los Angeles.

But did you know that the concept has been floating around for decades? We bet you didn’t know that the first-ever driverless car actually drove from Pittsburgh to San Diego in 1995.

You can watch Kodiak’s autonomous 18-wheelers below as they tackle the Texas terrain.

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Grace started her career writing about the weird and wonderful for the international press. She's covered everything from lifestyle to sports and hard news and now finds herself pursuing her main interest - cars. She's loved cars from a young age and has a keen interest in luxury travel too.