Loblaw is taking a major step toward transforming its logistics network, announcing plans to deploy 50 autonomous trucks built by Gatik across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by 2026. The multi-year agreement, which includes an investment by Loblaw in Gatik, marks the largest planned commercial rollout of autonomous trucks not only in Canada, but in North America.
The deployment will begin with 20 vehicles equipped with Gatik’s next-generation sensor suite entering service by the end of 2025. Another 30 trucks will join the fleet by the close of 2026, expanding Loblaw’s existing partnership with the Canadian autonomous trucking company.
Initially, the vehicles will operate with safety drivers on board before fully transitioning to driverless, “freight-only” operations serving more than 300 Loblaw stores across the GTA.
Loblaw, Canada’s largest retailer with more than 2,800 locations nationwide, first began testing autonomous deliveries with Gatik in 2020. The program expanded to five trucks in 2021, and by 2022, the companies were conducting fully driverless deliveries on public roads in Ontario.
The success of those trials laid the groundwork for the newly announced large-scale rollout.
The new fleet will feature vehicles powered by Gatik’s AI system, the Gatik Driver™, which enables Level 4 autonomous capability. The trucks will also include cold-chain-ready configurations designed for temperature-sensitive goods like groceries and pharmaceuticals.
Gatik collaborated closely with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation to help establish the Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle (ACMV) Pilot Program, which took effect on August 1, 2025. The framework allows Gatik’s Class 6 and 7 autonomous trucks to operate on all public roads and highways in Ontario, creating a clear regulatory path for the company’s expansion.
