Gatik Partners with Kroger for Autonomous Delivery Service in Dallas Distribution Network

Gatik, the leading provider of autonomous middle mile logistics solutions, has announced a multi-year partnership with Kroger, one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, to transport customer orders within its Dallas distribution network.

As part of the collaboration, Gatik’s medium-duty autonomous box trucks will be utilized to transport fresh and popular products from a Kroger Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC) in Dallas to multiple retail locations. These industry-leading autonomous trucks are equipped with a cold chain-capable 20-foot box designed to safely and efficiently transport ambient, refrigerated, and frozen goods.

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The partnership will involve consistent delivery runs multiple times per day, seven days per week across Kroger’s Dallas distribution network, offering the benefits of autonomous delivery to Kroger’s customers. These benefits include increased speed and responsiveness in fulfilling e-commerce orders, reduced costs, and dedicated capacity across the supply chain’s middle mile. The operations are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2023.

Gatik’s co-founder and CEO, Gautam Narang, stated, “Kroger’s commitment to redefining service levels for its customers through innovative technology meant that our collaboration came together very quickly. We’re deeply familiar with operating our autonomous fleet within the Dallas ecosystem, and we’re very excited to bring that experience to support Kroger in its mission to reshape the future of goods delivery.”

According to Raúl Bujalil, VP Supply Chain Strategy and Technology Enablers, “We are so excited to see Gatik trucks starting to deliver groceries throughout our Dallas division. These autonomous box trucks will help us continue our commitment to creating a seamless shopping experience – where customers can access their favorite fresh foods, with zero compromise on value or convenience.”

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Gatik’s autonomous middle mile solution will help Kroger meet its customers’ immediate needs, providing access to goods faster and more reliably than ever before, whether they shop online or in-store. Since launching its commercial operations in 2019, Gatik has already delivered half a million customer orders, leveraging its commercial-grade autonomous technology to transport freight safely and efficiently on the middle mile.

The company offers Autonomous Transportation as a Service (ATaaS) daily for customers across multiple markets, including Arkansas and Ontario. It is currently densifying its commercial presence in the state of Texas to meet the intense customer demand.