Gatik and Walmart Achieve Fully Driverless Deliveries in a First for Autonomous Trucking Industry Worldwide

Launch of Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking with Walmart

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and BENTONVILLE, Ark. – November 8, 2021 – Today, Gatik and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced today that Gatik is operating daily without a safety driver behind the wheel of its delivery route for Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas. The fleet moves customer orders between a Walmart dark store and a Neighborhood Market using multi-temperature autonomous box trucks.

Notably, Gatik’s deployment with Walmart in the state represents the first time an autonomous trucking company has removed the safety driver from a commercial delivery route on the middle mile. This milestone is the first anywhere in the world.

Scaling Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking on the Middle Mile

Since then, Gatik’s fully driverless operations began in August 2021. The fleet performs consistent, repeated delivery runs multiple times per day, seven days per week on public roads. These operations unlock the full advantages of autonomous delivery for Walmart’s customers. They increase speed and responsiveness when fulfilling e-commerce orders. They improve asset utilization and enhance safety for all road users.

“Through our work with Gatik, we’ve identified that autonomous box trucks offer an
efficient, safe and sustainable solution for transporting goods on repeatable routes between our stores,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile at Walmart U.S. “We’re thrilled to be working with Gatik to achieve this industry-first, driverless milestone in our home state of Arkansas and look forward to continuing to use this technology to serve Walmart customers with speed.”

State Support for Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking

“Arkansas and Gatik have shifted into the future with Gatik’s self-driving delivery truck,” said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. “It is fitting that Arkansas, which is home to the greatest retail companies in the world, is the launching pad for this innovation in retail delivery.”

“This milestone signifies a revolutionary breakthrough for the autonomous trucking
industry,” said Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder, Gatik. “Our deployment in Bentonville is not a one-time demonstration. Importantly, These are frequent, revenue-generating daily runs. Our trucks complete them safely in a range of conditions on public roads. They demonstrate the commercial and technical advantages of fully driverless operations on the middle mile. We’re thrilled to enable Walmart’s customers to reap the benefits.”

Regulatory Approval Enables Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking

Previously, In December 2020, Gatik and Walmart received the Arkansas State Highway Commission’s first ever approval to remove the safety driver from Gatik’s autonomous trucks. This approval followed the completion of 18 months of successful operations. As part of its roadmap to removing the safety driver, Gatik undertook a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy. This strategy involved state and local leadership and emergency services. The company will continue to hold ongoing informational workshops concerning its ground-breaking autonomous operations.

Structured Autonomy Powers Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking

Since commencing commercial operations in 2019, Gatik has achieved a 100 percent safety record across multiple operational sites in North America (including Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Ontario).As a result, Gatik focuses exclusively on fixed, repeatable delivery routes to maximize safety, using proprietary, commercial-grade autonomous technology that is purpose built for B2B short-haul logistics. Gatik constrains the operational design domain. This approach has enabled the company to achieve the safe removal of the safety driver much more quickly compared to other applications, such as passenger transportation or B2C delivery. Specifically, the complex urban route in Bentonville involves safely navigating intersections, traffic lights and merging on dense urban roads.

The Future of Fully Driverless Autonomous Trucking Industry 

As retailers increasingly turn to hub-and-spoke distribution models to meet consumer needs, the middle mile has emerged as a critical component of the supply chain. In fact, over the last decade, shorter urban routes have become more prominent. Specifically, 65 percent of all routes are now under 500 miles. Moreover, routes under 100 miles have grown by 37 percent during the same period. Ultimately, Gatik’s autonomous trucking industry helps increase efficiencies. It meets consumer needs by delivering on the promise of autonomy today