PrePass, a US weigh-station bypass and toll payment provider, and Kodiak AI, a developer of autonomous driving technology, are integrating enhanced inspections of Kodiak’s driverless trucks into established state roadside screening and enforcement systems, with initial implementation beginning in Texas and Louisiana.
The collaboration connects Enhanced Inspection information from Kodiak’s autonomous trucks, carried out by inspectors trained by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), directly with enforcement personnel through the PrePass platform. Officers can use the system to verify inspection information, authorise a bypass and issue further instructions to the vehicle as needed.
The CVSA developed its Enhanced Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection Programme to support commercial vehicles fitted with automated driving systems. Under the programme, a CVSA-trained inspector confirms that an autonomous commercial vehicle is free of safety defects before it begins driverless operation. A successful inspection remains valid for up to 24 hours, subject to the programme’s requirements.
The PrePass-Kodiak collaboration does not change or replace that inspection process. Instead, it makes the resulting information available through roadside screening systems that states already operate, giving agencies a way to bring autonomous trucks into existing safety and enforcement workflows without building a separate process specifically for driverless vehicles.
Addressing a cross-state barrier
“The next barrier to scaling driverless trucking isn’t inside the truck. It’s the infrastructure around it,” says Chas Wurster, chief technology officer at PrePass. “PrePass has spent years preparing for this future through federal research, collaboration with state agencies and continued investment in roadside screening technology.”
“By working with Kodiak to advance driverless trucking into real-world commercial operations, PrePass is operationalizing the blueprint for what comes next: bringing states, roadside infrastructure and trusted data together to make autonomous operations work at scale,” he adds.
PrePass’ network spans more than 580 inspection and screening locations across the US, along with what the company describes as longstanding relationships with state enforcement agencies. That footprint, PrePass says, provides a foundation for extending the collaboration beyond Texas and Louisiana toward a consistent, scalable approach to supporting driverless commercial operations nationally.
Supporting a driverless launch by year end
The initiative supports Kodiak’s own operational and regulatory readiness as the company prepares to launch driverless commercial vehicle operations on US public highways by the end of 2026.
“Launching driverless service is not just about building technology. It’s about building a solution that works in the real world,” says Don Burnette, founder and chief executive of Kodiak AI. “Our collaboration with PrePass is an important milestone as we prepare to launch long-haul driverless operations.”
“It enables us to provide critical information to commercial vehicle enforcement agencies, maintain compliance with safety requirements and scale the Kodiak Driver across the United States,” he continues. “PrePass’ nationwide footprint, established relationships with state agencies and ability to integrate emerging vehicle technologies make it an important partner in that effort.”
Kodiak’s core product, the Kodiak Driver, is a vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system combining AI-powered software with modular hardware. The company says it operates the system in long-haul trucking, industrial trucking and defence applications, and already runs commercial operations with no one in the cab. In 2024, Kodiak said it became the first company to deploy driverless technology in customer-owned driverless semi-trucks. Its commercial partners and customers include Atlas Energy Solutions, IKEA, Bridgestone, Werner Enterprises, C.R. England, General Dynamics Land Systems and Roehl Transport.
PrePass is operated by the non-profit PrePass Safety Alliance, a public-private partnership of state agencies and trucking industry figures. The Alliance says it has invested more than $1.3 billion to deploy services aimed at improving safety, reducing emissions and preserving highway infrastructure, and that PrePass has now facilitated more than one billion bypasses and an estimated $6 billion in savings for fleets.
