Bot Auto, the autonomous trucking startup that recently completed the first fully humanless commercial load on a U.S. public highway, has appointed former Knight Transportation Vice President of Operations Brett Suma as president and chief operating officer.
The move, announced Tuesday, signals a shift for the Houston-based company from technical proof-of-concept to commercial scaling. Suma brings nearly 30 years of experience to the role, having spent much of his career at Knight Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) before founding Loadsmith and TrailerHawk.ai.
"We have proven that humanless commercial truckloads are possible, but we understand that technology alone cannot drive value creation," said Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder and CEO of Bot Auto. "Building a scalable autonomous freight product requires humility, flexibility, and relentless creativity."
The leadership expansion follows Bot Auto’s milestone delivery on a live U.S. interstate. While many firms continue to operate with safety drivers in the cab, Bot Auto is pushing a Transportation-as-a-Service model that removes the human element entirely from specific corridors.
Suma said his immediate focus will be building the "operational backbone" of the company, specifically targeting network architecture and corridor economics.
"The industry is at a crossroads," Suma said. "My job now is to build the operational backbone that makes it scale. Texas is the ideal starting point, and we’re thinking corridor by corridor."
The company plans to expand its fleet of autonomous tractors and increase the frequency of humanless trips across Texas throughout the remainder of the year, capitalizing on a favorable federal regulatory environment and a growing demand from shippers for more predictable freight capacity.
Joining Suma are two longtime collaborators: David Stemm, named vice president of commercial operations, and Jessica Kane, who takes over as vice president of commercial finance. The trio previously worked together at TrailerHawk.ai, which was acquired by Wabash in 2025.
