A Turning Point for Autonomous Trucking: Gatik and Loblaw Scale Up

For years, conversations about autonomous trucking have focused on “someday.” Someday the technology will be reliable. Someday it will transform supply chains. Someday freight will move more frequently and more efficiently.

That “someday” has just become today.

With our expanded partnership with Loblaw, Canada’s largest retailer, and one of the most sophisticated supply chain operators in North America – Gatik is delivering the future of logistics at commercial scale. Last week, we announced a five-year agreement to deploy 50 autonomous trucks across Loblaw’s regional distribution networks in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This marks the first time a major North American retailer has advanced from pilot programs to full-scale commercial deployment – and the largest single deployment of autonomous trucks on the continent.

Why Scale Changes the Game

Autonomous technology becomes truly transformative only when it evolves from isolated pilots into integrated, scaled operations. Scaling to 50 autonomous trucks with Loblaw represents far more than an impressive number. It is the embodiment of logistics solving real-world, high-value problems for one of the world’s most complex retail supply chains. Canada is grappling with a nationwide driver shortage – 35,000 vacancies, including more than 7,000 in Ontario. At the same time, consumer expectations are rising in an on-demand economy where shoppers expect goods available within hours.

With nearly 90% of Canadians living within 10 kilometers of a Loblaw location, the retailer’s hyperlocal distribution model is the perfect match for Gatik’s high-frequency, short-haul logistics solution. Our autonomous trucks are purpose-built to take on the kind of high-frequency distribution networks that form the backbone of regional supply chains. For Loblaw, that means our trucks will move goods from distribution centers in Mississauga and Ajax to more than 300 stores across the GTA, including Loblaw supermarkets, No Frills, and Shoppers Drug Mart – the country’s largest drugstore chain.

What Scaling Looks Like in Practice

Each truck will handle routes up to 40 miles (65kms) across Loblaw’s regional distribution network, servicing multiple drop-off locations per trip. Collectively, this means thousands of autonomous deliveries every week flowing through the GTA – keeping Loblaw shelves stocked, and customers better served.

This expansion is powered by Gatik Driver™, a safe, scalable & interpretable AI driver purpose-built for autonomous trucks proven in real-world commercial operations. The new fleet will also include cold-chain-capable vehicles optimized for the movement of time-sensitive, perishable, and regulated goods. This enables the transport of a broad mix of inventory – from dry groceries and frozen items to fresh produce and pharmaceutical products – all within a temperature-controlled, autonomous framework.

More Than a Partnership: Future-proofing Loblaw’s Supply Chain

What makes this announcement especially significant is Loblaw’s dual role as both customer and investor. By making a strategic investment in Gatik, Loblaw has signalled that autonomous logistics isn’t just a short-term efficiency play – it underscores the company’s confidence in autonomous logistics as a critical enabler to serve its customer-base long-term.

For Loblaw, this ensures a front-row seat in shaping the evolution of autonomous trucking and embedding it deeply into its operations over the next decade and beyond. For the autonomous trucking sector globally, this is a watershed moment. Retailers and logistics providers everywhere are looking for ways to move from experimental pilots to real-world operations that deliver measurable value. 

This partnership offers a powerful blueprint for that transition – proving that autonomy, when deployed with strategic intent, can deliver not just innovation, but operational scale, safety, reliability, and sustainability in a unified solution.

A Regulatory First

A critical enabler of this milestone is Ontario’s new Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle (ACMV) Program, which launched in August 2025. In preparation for Gatik’s multi-year expansion with Loblaw, we worked closely with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to help inform the development of the ACMV Program, which enables the operation of Gatik’s medium-duty autonomous trucks on all surface streets and highways in the province. 

The ACMV program reflects the best of public-private collaboration – a model that balances safety, innovation, and economic competitiveness. The program has been carefully developed to facilitate the safe and rapid roll-out of autonomous trucks in Ontario, ensuring that the province continues to lead the way nationally in transportation innovation. We applaud the structured approach taken by the province to develop a regulatory regime which puts both safety and innovation at the forefront. 

Looking Ahead

Gatik and Loblaw previously made history in 2022 with the deployment of Canada’s first driverless commercial fleet, setting the foundation for our historic expansion. 

Over the next several years, this partnership will enter a transformative phase. By the end of 2026, 50 autonomous Gatik trucks will be operating daily across the Greater Toronto Area, seamlessly moving goods within one of North America’s most complex and high-density retail networks. This operation will be supported by Ontario’s forward-leaning regulatory framework, built specifically to keep pace with the rapid evolution of autonomous technology.

And this is only the beginning.

Our partnership with Loblaw is designed for scale – with a roadmap to extend autonomy across its national supply chain footprint. As the demand for faster, more resilient, and environmentally sustainable logistics intensifies, autonomous trucking is no longer a futuristic idea. It’s a strategic capability being deployed today.

Autonomous trucking isn’t about “someday” anymore. It’s happening now – delivering real impact for retailers, customers, and the communities they serve.