Driverless grocery delivery trucks now in Toronto
Shopping for groceries in the Greater Toronto Area just got a little more futuristic.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd and autonomous middle mile logistics company Gatik have teamed up to launch Canada’s first fully driverless grocery delivery truck.
“Being the first in Canada with this technology and deploying a fully driverless solution is exciting and illustrates our commitment to making grocery shopping better for customers,” Loblaw’s Chief Technology and Analytics Officer, David Markwell, said in a news release published Wednesday.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The two companies have been testing the technology since Jan. 2020 and completed 150,000 autonomous deliveries with a 100 per cent safety record during that time.
During those trials, a “safety driver” was on board and in the driver’s seat as a safeguard -- but not operating the vehicle’s controls.
As of today, Loblaw told CTV News Toronto in an email it has five trucks on the road. One of those vehicles is operating fully autonomously, while the other four have a safety driver on board.
One of Loblaw's driverless delivery trucks is seen in this image. (Loblaw Cos. Ltd/Gatik)
The refrigerated trucks operate for about 12 hours a day and pick up grocery orders from a Loblaw distribution facility before arriving at nearby retail locations in the GTA on fixed, repetitive, predictable routes.
With the removal of the safety driver, the companies believe they are able to unlock the “true advantages of autonomous delivery.”
“Autonomous delivery enables Loblaw to operate more routes and make more frequent trips, establishing a supply chain that is safer, more sustainable and more resilient,” the news release reads.
As for scaling up the project, Loblaw says there is no specific timeline but they will continue to review results and look to see where else the technology might make sense.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.