Gatik has carved out a specific niche in the competitive realm of autonomous vehicle tech: short-haul fixed-route deliveries for the retail industry. The strategy paid off in November 2021, when Gatik announced it had removed safety drivers in its box trucks moving orders between a Walmart warehouse and grocery store in Bentonville, Arkansas, two years into the companies’ partnership. This could be the future of middle-mile logistics across North America—automated trucks driving predictable routes, keeping supply chains intact despite persistent labor shortages. With a spotless safety record, Gatik is now expanding and has set up delivery operations in Louisiana, Texas, and Ontario after receiving local authorities’ stamps of approval.
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