Kodiak Robotics is integrating Vay’s remote-driving technology into its autonomous trucks, the two companies announced Wednesday. This partnership, in development since last year, builds upon the ongoing collaboration between Kodiak and Vay that began with driverless deliveries for Atlas Energy Solutions across the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico.
The remote-driving capability from Berlin-based Vay will play an essential safety and operational role when Kodiak initiates fully commercial driverless deliveries on public highways in Texas during the latter half of 2026. Kodiak has previously announced intentions to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, planning to leverage advancements in autonomous transportation to accelerate its market presence.
Known as teleoperations, remote driving technology serves as a supporting layer within autonomous systems, commonly used to guide sidewalk robots, autonomous shuttles, and robotaxis through complex areas where fully autonomous navigation proves challenging. Through Vay’s solution, remote human operators can secure control in certain low-speed conditions—such as navigating complex construction zones or adjusting delivery points.
Vay’s teleoperation setup replicates a conventional cockpit environment, complete with a steering wheel, dashboard screen, vehicle controls, and specialized software that enables remote driving with low-latency communications. Crucially, Kodiak’s automated driving software remains continuously in control, setting boundaries and maintaining safety protocols even when human operators initiate maneuvering.
Kodiak CTO Andreas Wendel emphasized the critical balance maintained: operators remotely indicate directional commands, but the underlying Kodiak autonomous system retains ultimate oversight, automatically monitoring and restricting actions to ensure operational safety. This redundancy enables uniform operator experiences across different vehicle loads, configurations, and road conditions, increasing flexibility for Kodiak’s logistics operations.
All Kodiak personnel engaged in remote operations carry commercial driver’s licenses and have undergone extensive training. The partnership closely follows Kodiak’s previous collaboration with the U.S. Army, which began in 2022. The military had sought remote-capable autonomous technology capable of navigating challenging circumstances such as sudden tactical repositioning—a scenario difficult to manage autonomously.
Initially, Kodiak began developing remote vehicle operation solutions internally. However, its partnership with Vay allowed Kodiak access to a remote driving solution already field-tested and widely deployed commercially. Founded in 2019, Vay has made remote teleoperation central to its original car-sharing platform, logging over 10,000 trips managed remotely in real-world settings. Initially a consumer-focused business, Vay recently expanded into commercial teleoperation services, providing a broader infrastructure for autonomous vehicle operations.
Thomas von der Ohe, CEO and co-founder of Vay, likened this approach to Amazon’s development of AWS—building a versatile teleoperations platform that can serve multiple markets. Similarly, Kodiak CEO Don Burnette envisions the integrated Vay technology as an essential ancillary solution to enhance the adaptability and reach of self-driving trucks.
For Kodiak, the partnership represents a strategic step forward to address situations, however rare, where autonomous systems reach limitations. Effective remote intervention promises to ensure consistent freight deliveries, make complex scenarios significantly more manageable, and set a foundation for the future expansion of self-driving truck operations.
