(RED OAK, Texas) – Autonomous technology manufacturer Kodiak Robotics recently sent representative Matt Cearnal, its head of service and support, to speak with Diesel Equipment Technology students at Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus about the growing autonomous trucking industry and open and upcoming positions within the company.
Kodiak Robotics, based in Mountain View, California, is a manufacturer of autonomous trucks, in addition to creating autonomous technology for the U.S. military.
“Our modular system, the Kodiak Driver, easily adapts to any driving platform,” Kodiak Robotics’ website states. “Each component is easy to integrate and maintain, and built to maximize efficiency.”
One student at the presentation asked Cearnal about any pushback the company receives about the creation of autonomous trucks and the jobs that the self-driving vehicles may take away.
“The industry, back in 2021, needed 80,000 drivers added to the force just to meet the current demand,” Cearnal answered. “There’s no way Kodiak could produce 80,000 trucks in one, two or however many years. To say we’re taking jobs from truck drivers, it’s impossible. Even if we run our trucks 22 hours a day and we cover two drivers (per truck), that would mean we would have to somehow produce 40,000 trucks in a year’s time. It’s not going to happen. So what are we going to do? We’re going to help, but we can’t replace.”
Cearnal talked about the range of jobs available at Kodiak Robotics.
“The company is made up of a ton of diverse paths and diverse careers that all come together to drive the technology forward,” he said.
Cearnal specifically spoke to the students about the technician position.
“The ability for you to take what you have here and to be able to apply it within the position at Kodiak is definitely there,” he said.
Cearnal said he was looking for graduates with hands-on experience, reliability, consistency, good communication and an innovative mindset.
Starting off, new hires in the technician position can expect to make anywhere from $25 to $35 an hour, Cearnal said. Benefits and chances for promotion were also discussed.
According to onetonline.org, jobs for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists were expected to increase 19% in Texas from 2020 to 2030. Such technicians employed in the state earn an annual average salary of $50,970, the website stated.
Diesel Equipment Technology is available at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses. Depending on campus location, the program offers Associate of Applied Science degrees with different specializations. Several certificates of completion are also offered.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
